


The Country of the Heart

by DizzyDrea



Category: NCIS
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Family, Family Feels, Romance, Rough Trade, Siblings, Surprise Siblings, Surprises, Unexpected Visitors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-02
Updated: 2020-02-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:27:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 50,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22934806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DizzyDrea/pseuds/DizzyDrea
Summary: Tony DiNozzo finally feels like he's in a good place. After the upheaval of the last year, life has settled down. He has a job he loves, good friends he can depend on, and the love of a little girl he can't imagine living without. And then someone walks into his office and turns his life upside down once again. What happens next will either break him, or it’ll be the best thing that’s ever happened to him.
Relationships: Ellie Bishop/Anthony DiNozzo
Comments: 16
Kudos: 73





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was my Nano project for Rough Trade November 2019. There are some cameo appearances in this story because I couldn't resist adding some of my favorite characters from other shows. This story is very personal for me because as I was writing this story, I was also connecting with a long-lost sibling. It's funny how life works sometimes, you know? Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
> 
> Disclaimer: None of these fandoms belong to me. They belong to other, very talented people that it would take too long to name. Suffice to say I'm not making any money doing this. I do this for fun and for practice. Mostly for fun.

~o~

Tony DiNozzo breezed through the outer office and made a beeline for his desk, breathing a sigh of relief that his assistant wasn't sitting there with her disapproving face on. He wasn't late enough to earn that frown, he didn't think, but Donna ran a tight ship and he was constantly disrupting her best-laid plans.

Hiring Donatella Moss Lyman was definitely the best decision he'd made since taking the promotion, but there were days when he wondered who the boss really was.

He'd almost reached his desk when he heard her voice behind him. He rounded the desk and dropped his messenger bag on the floor by his chair as Donna leaned on the doorjamb, arms crossed as she watched him sort through his mail.

"And only fifteen minutes late. Mrs. Fincher hit on you again?"

Tony looked up as he shuddered. "Mrs. Fincher, Mrs. Allen and Ms. Kallerup. It's a conspiracy. Just as soon as I was free of one of them, the next one popped up. I thought I was never getting out of there."

Donna snorted. "Maybe if you weren't basically single-lady catnip, you wouldn't have to worry about being molested at the pre-school drop-off."

"I'm tempted," he said to her, pointing with one of the envelopes, "to show up in my jammies with a three-day beard and coffee stains on my shirt, just to give them a good look at the real me."

"Somehow, I get the feeling they'd just want to fix you," Donna said.

"You're probably right," Tony said, shoulders slumping. "So, did I miss anything interesting?"

"Gibbs is on his fifth cup of coffee," Donna said. "Torres is hiding; apparently, it's day three of cold cases, and he's about ready to shove McGee into traffic just so they'll have a case to investigate."

Tony chuckled. He could well remember days like that. The difference was, he… well, saying he enjoyed working cold cases would be overstating the situation, but he was good at it and that was what mattered. It was never a waste of time when he could solve a case and bring closure to the family of the victim.

"So, what's on my schedule for the day?"

"You have a budget meeting with Vance this afternoon," Donna said. She stepped into the room and handed him a file. "First up, you're meeting with this guy."

Tony took the file and opened it up. His eyebrows raced for his hairline. "And why exactly am I meeting with a SEAL?"

"He asked," Donna said, shrugging. Tony opened his mouth, but Donna held up a hand. "I offered to have him speak to Gibbs or Balboa, but he insisted that he needed to speak to you. Could he be connected to one of your old cases?"

"His name doesn't seem familiar," Tony said. He scanned through the file, his eye catching on one curious detail. "He's married to Francesca Chegwidden. I went out on a couple of dates with her, back in the day."

"Probably best not to mention that," Donna said.

"No," Tony said. "Probably not. Do I have time for—"

Donna set a cup of coffee down on his desk. He looked at her, one eyebrow raised. The cup was from his favorite coffee shop. When he picked it up and took a sip, he found the cup full of his favorite brew.

"You know, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to butter me up for something."

"Yeah, well, don't get used to it," Donna said as she turned around and walked out of his office. "Meg asked me to make sure you were fully caffeinated before your first meeting. Considering you had to brave the drop-off today because she's visiting a friend, I figured you'd need the good stuff."

"Donna, you are an angel among women," Tony called out as she stepped through the door.

Donna turned at the door and winked as she grabbed the knob. "Just don't forget it."

~o~

An hour later, Tony was going cross-eyed from reading all the emails that had piled up over the weekend. When he'd first taken the job as SAC of the DC Field Office, he'd made sure Vance understood that his daughter came first. Tali was easily the biggest blessing in his life, and he wasn't going to miss a minute of her life because he was working on the weekends.

Vance had been understanding, giving him the freedom to approach the job as he saw fit, including shutting off work as much as possible over the weekend. All the team leads had his cell phone number, and knew they could call him if an emergency came up, but otherwise, he pretty much ignored work on the weekends.

Donna knocked on the door before swinging it open. "Commander Luke Sundstrom, meet Special Agent in Charge Anthony DiNozzo."

Tony stood up and reached a hand across his desk as Commander Sundstrom walked into the office. Sundstrom was of a similar height and build to Tony, so much so that it was like looking in a mirror. "Commander, it's nice to meet you."

The Commander hesitated for just the briefest second before taking his hand and giving it a firm shake. Tony's Spidey-sense gave a twinge. He tilted his head, considering his guest for the briefest second before indicating that he should sit down. Tony settled into his desk chair and looked at the Commander.

"So, what can I do for you today, Commander?"

Sundstrom took a deep breath, looking him square in the eye. "I—" He rubbed his hands on the thighs of his dress uniform and rolled his shoulders. "This was all so much easier in my head."

Tony chuckled. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm not here to judge. Whatever it is, I promise I'll keep an open mind."

"Right," Sundstrom said. "So, my mother passed away last year."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Tony said, suddenly reminded of his own mother's death. There wasn't pain associated with it, all these years later, but he still felt a twinge of sadness whenever he thought of her. "How did she die?"

"She had cancer. Ovarian cancer," Sundstrom said. "By the time they found it, it was too late. It was… hard, watching her fade away like that."

"I'm sure it was," Tony said. "Given that she died of cancer, I'm not sure what it is you need from me."

"A couple of weeks ago, her lawyer gave me a letter she wrote before she died," Sundstrom said. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a white envelope. He tapped it on his hand a couple of times before he held it out. "I think you should read it."

Tony raised an eyebrow, but took the envelope. He tugged the pages out and scanned them. The top sheet was a letter, and the two below that appeared to be birth certificates. He glanced up at his guest, who still looked nervous. Tony refocused on the letter and began to read.

> _My Dearest Luke,_
> 
> _I know this is terribly cliché, but if you're reading this letter, I've died. I wish I'd had the courage to tell you this while I was still alive, but I didn't know how._
> 
> _You see, when I was younger than you, I used to work for a man named Anthony. I fell in love with him, even though he was married, and I'm ashamed to admit that we had an affair. I got pregnant, even though we were so careful. I thought about terminating the pregnancy, but Anthony wouldn't hear of it. His wife wasn't able to have children, so he planned for her to adopt the baby. I can't say I was happy about that, but I was single and wasn't in any position to raise a child._
> 
> _On the day my son was born, I barely even saw him before they took him away. Anthony refused to allow me to see him, fearing that I might change my mind about allowing he and his wife to raise him. A kind nurse gave me a copy of his birth certificate, but that was all I had of him._
> 
> _I wish I could say that I walked away from Anthony after that, but I couldn't. I was in love with him, and even though I never saw my son again, Anthony would share details about him every now and then. It wasn't nearly enough, but I coped._
> 
> _Then I got pregnant again. Anthony was adamant that he and his wife wouldn't take this baby. Instead, he threw money at me and told me to terminate the pregnancy. When I refused, he gave me more money and sent me away. I was angry and ashamed, but there was nothing I could do, so I did as he asked. I never touched the money; it's in an investment account under your name. My lawyer will have the details._
> 
> _When I met your father—when I met Paul Sundstrom—I told him about you and your brother. We agreed to keep the secret from you until you were old enough to understand, but I always found reasons not to tell you. I’m sorry for that; hearing this in a letter won't be easy, but I know that telling you the truth is the right thing to do._
> 
> _It's my hope that you'll be able to find your brother, but I realize that he may want nothing to do with you because of what I've done. You'll never know how much I regret letting go of your brother, how much I regret that you never got to grow up together. Paul adopted you when we married, but you've always had a family you never knew about._
> 
> _I hope you can forgive me for keeping this secret from you. I always intended for you to know; I only wish I could have told you myself. I'm enclosing both of your birth certificates with this letter. I leave it up to you to decide if you want to find your brother or not. Just know you have my blessing either way._
> 
> _Love,_  
> 
> 
> _Mom_

Tony looked up. He didn't know what to think, about the letter or the man sitting in front of him. They could very well both be frauds; he simply didn't know. He looked down at the papers in his hand, shuffling them until he was looking at his own birth certificate. Instead of the mother being listed as Claire DiNozzo, this certificate said that his mother was a woman named Susan Carter. 

He took a deep breath and looked up at the man who purported to be his brother. "What do you think? Is she telling the truth?"

"I—" Sundstrom sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. "Before I got this letter, I'd have said there was no way. My mother was honest to a fault. She told the truth no matter how much it might hurt. But this? I have no idea. I really don't."

"I used to be a field agent, so as an investigator, my first instinct is to test the veracity of the letter," Tony said, watching his guest to gage how he'd react to that.

"You mean DNA testing?" Sundstrom asked. "I'm okay with that. Frankly, it's why I brought this to you. I have access to a lot of intelligence as a SEAL, but we don't do a lot of investigating. I also brought a notarized document I found in her papers, in case you want to do a handwriting comparison."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Seems like you know your way around investigations."

"Not like I've never had to collect a shit-ton of evidence on a raid before," Sundstrom said, shrugging. "I know what the intelligence guys look for."

"Alright," Tony said. The guy was still nervous, but that could possibly be because he was unsure of Tony's reaction, and not because he was trying to pull a con. He reached out and pressed the intercom button on his phone, but before he could speak, Donna was already there.

"Kasie's on her way up," she said.

"How does she do that?" Sundstrom asked, wrinkling his nose.

"It's one of the great mysteries of the universe," Tony said. "I stopped asking a long time ago."

"She looks familiar somehow," Sundstrom said. "Like I've seen her before."

"You probably have," Tony said, chuckling. "Donna used to be the Chief of Staff to Helen Santos, the former First Lady."

"Your secretary is—"

"I'm not a secretary," Donna yelled through the door.

"She's not a secretary," Tony repeated.

Sundstrom held his hands up. "Noted." He cocked his head to the side. "How'd you wind up with the First Lady's Chief of Staff as your… assistant?"

"She prefers 'Office and Life Manager', but we'll go with assistant for now," Tony said. When Donna didn't react, he went on. "I know her husband, Josh Lyman. We met a bunch of years ago jogging on the Mall. When I took this job, Donna basically hired herself to manage my office."

"And how's that working out for you?" Sundstrom asked, quirking a smile.

"About like you'd expect," Tony said. He chuckled a bit. "She's actually terrific, and the Director is jealous as hell, so there's that."

Before Sundstrom could respond, there was a knock at his door, and Kasie edged into the room. "Um, Donna said you wanted to see me?"

"Kasie Hines, meet Commander Luke Sundstrom, Navy SEALs," Tony said.

Sundstrom stood up and reached out to shake Kasie's hand. "Nice to meet you, ma'am."

"Nice to meet you, too, Commander," Kasie said. She turned to Tony. "He called me ma'am."

"it's a genetic condition, Kasie," Tony said with a chuckle. "Don't hold it against him."

"Alright," Kasie said. "Is there something I can do for you?"

"Come, sit down," Tony said. When Kasie was as settled as she was going to be, he started talking. "The Commander brought a letter with him today that I think you should read."

He looked at Sundstrom, who only nodded. Tony handed the letter to Kasie and waited for her to read through it. When she was done, she looked up at Tony, eyes wide as saucers. "Seriously? I mean, you're sure this isn't the plot from a telenovela? I mean—sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"It's okay, Kasie," Tony said, holding up a hand. "You haven't said anything I haven't already thought." He glanced over at Sundstrom, who had a small smile on his face. Seemed he agreed. "Anyway, what I need you to do is authenticate that letter, as much as you're able, as well as these two birth certificates."

Kasie took the documents he handed over, scanning through them quickly. "Well, they're notarized copies, so that should be pretty easy. But unless you have a sample of this woman's handwriting, I'm not sure how I'll be able to authenticate the letter."

"You can use this," Sundstrom said, handing her another envelope. "It's a copy of her will, and a signed codicil, written in her own handwriting. Witnessed and notarized so there shouldn't be any question."

"Alright, I can reach out to the notary, if they're still alive," Kasie said. "What about DNA?"

"Mine's on file," Tony said.

"So's mine," Sundstrom echoed. "You can use it to test against Special Agent DiNozzo's DNA. If you run into any issues with access, my CO is aware of the situation and can provide the access you need."

"Alright," Kasie said. "The DNA analysis should be fairly quick, since we have the samples on file already. Document analysis will take longer."

"I'm headed back to Fort Bragg tomorrow, but I can leave you my contact information in case you need to reach me," Sundstrom said.

"Okay, yeah, that'll work," Kasie said. "I should be able to run the samples as soon as I get back to my lab. That is, if you're finished with me? I mean, I can stay, if you need me to. Although, I'm not sure why you'd—"

"It's okay, Kasie," Tony said, smiling. "You can head back to your lab. Just let me know when you have the results."

"Okay, yeah," Kasie said. "I'll just—" She pointed her thumb toward the door as she backed out.

Both men watched her go. Sundstrom turned back to Tony and asked, "Is she always like that?"

"Pretty much," Tony said, chuckling. "Believe it or not, when I hired her, she was worse. Fresh out of grad school and nervous as hell."

"Huh," Sundstrom said. "But she knows her stuff?"

"Yeah," Tony said. "She knows her stuff. That's why I hired her."

Hiring Kasie was probably the second easiest decision he'd made since he'd come back to NCIS. He'd been surprised when Vance had offered the SAC position. Vance had never had a high opinion of him, but apparently that had changed in the six months he'd been gone. Gibbs and Vance had conspired to put him on leave instead of processing his resignation, so he'd had a job to come back to when the life of leisure in Paris had worn thin.

And Vance had given him carte blanche. He'd finally recognized that managing the DC Field Office plus the entirety of NCIS was sucking up far too much of his time. Time he could be spending with his family. So, he'd put Tony in charge of the DC Field Office, with full power to make any changes he saw fit.

One of those changes had been letting Abby Sciutto go. Apparently, she'd gone off the rails after he'd left with Tali. Gibbs was light on details, but there'd been several other team leads that had given him chapter and verse. He'd quietly offered Abby the opportunity to leave with a reference from NCIS. Abby, unfortunately, hadn't taken him up on his offer. It got ugly quickly, until Vance stepped in and terminated her with cause. 

The last time he'd seen or spoken to her had been the day she stomped out of NCIS in her platform boots, pigtails swinging behind her. He'd been sad to lose a long-time friend, but Abby had brought it on herself, and it had never been personal for him. It had, as it turned out, been personal for Abby.

"So, how long do you think it'll take Ms. Hines to run the DNA tests?"

Tony refocused on his guest, mildly chagrined to have been caught with his mind wandering. "Knowing her, it'll be the first thing she does when she gets back to the lab, regardless of what other work she has on deck."

"And what are we supposed to do in the meantime?" Sundstrom asked.

Tony looked at the paperwork still sitting to one side, waiting for his signature, and an inbox overflowing with emails. But none of that mattered to him. Sitting across from him was a man who could potentially be his brother, and despite the lack of evidence, his gut was telling him that Luke Sundstrom was his brother. That was all that mattered to him.

"How about we get some coffee," he said. "My treat. There's this local shop just off the Yard that makes the best Cappuccino in the DC area."

"I could go for some coffee," Sundstrom said.

He stood up as Tony rounded his desk. "Then let's go, Commander."

"I think, under the circumstances, maybe you could call me Luke," he said.

"Alright, Luke," Tony said. "I'm Tony."

The two men shook hands again, only this time there seemed to be more behind it than a mere handshake. Tony looked at Luke, once again struck by how much they looked alike. The idea of having more family didn't freak him out as much as he'd thought it would, but facing that Luke might be his brother would also force him to confront his father's past misdeeds, something he'd thought he'd buried. 

He shook himself out of his thoughts and let go of Luke's hand, ushering him out the door with a quick look at Donna, who just smiled and nodded. He still wasn't sure how she did it, but he was more grateful than he could say that she was always two or three steps ahead of him.

~o~


	2. Chapter 2

~o~

"You haven't asked about my—our father," Tony said.

They'd gotten coffee and grabbed a seat on a bench along the waterfront. Tony figured this conversation would be easier to have where prying ears couldn't hear. 

"Do I want to know?" Luke asked. "From the sounds of it, your father was kind of—"

Tony chuckled when Luke abruptly stopped. "My father is an absolute bastard. Well, he used to be. I think age has mellowed him. Age and my daughter."

"You have a daughter?" 

"Yeah, I have a daughter," Tony said. A pleased smile drifted across his face, one that he couldn't stop, and wouldn't even if he could. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and pulled up the pictures of Tali. "Tali. She's four and the love of my life."

Luke took the phone and scrolled through a few photos, his smile growing with each one. "She's… completely adorable. This looks like Paris… Tivoli Gardens, right?"

Tony leaned over, looking at the picture of Tali on the carousel. When Luke swiped to the next photo, his father was standing beside Tali, both of them looking at each other and grinning from ear to ear.

"I… took some time off work, before I got the promotion to SAC," Tony said. "Tali and I ended up in Paris, and Senior joined us for a while. He's smitten with her, of course. He'll even play 'tea party' with her. You should see him with a pink boa and tutu, sitting on a tiny chair, sipping pretend tea. It's priceless."

"Blackmail material, if ever there was any," Luke said. "My wife has pictures of me doing the same thing with my daughter. Honestly, it's the best part about being a dad."

"Yeah, it is," Tony said, taking his phone back. He shut it off and put it back in his pocket. "So, you have a daughter?"

"Yep," Luke said. "And two sons. Jake is eight, and Micah and Olivia are five."

"Twins, huh?" Tony asked, somewhat amused. "That can't be easy."

"We went from playing man to zone overnight," Luke said.

Tony laughed. "What you really need is a Cover 1."

"My father-in-law lives nearby, so he's always over at the house," Luke said, nodding. "Olivia adores him, and will usually only behave for him."

"So, you should probably know that I went out on a couple of dates with your wife," Tony said with a sigh. "Back in the day."

Luke chuckled. "She told me. She said you were a good man, but she knew you weren't ready to settle down. She's gonna be surprised you have a kid."

"I've always enjoyed the company of the fairer sex," Tony said, shrugging as Luke chuckled. "Francesca is a smart, beautiful woman, which is exactly my type. But I'm not sure I ever intended to settle down. At least until Tali came along."

"Her mother's not in the picture?" Luke asked.

"No," Tony said. "She's… She was someone I used to work with. We parted ways several years ago. She never told me about Tali; I had to find out after—well, anyway, I got custody of Tali, and we headed off for a great adventure."

"And yet, you're back here," Luke said.

Tony chuckled. "Yeah, apparently, it's the one place I can't seem to leave, no matter how hard I try."

"Sounds like a story's in there somewhere," Luke said, smiling.

"There is, but one for another day," Tony said. "It's much longer than a cup of coffee. Probably more like a couple of beers or a good bottle of scotch."

"That bad?"

"Eh, it's not like it's terrible, just long," Tony said, brushing off Luke's questioning look. He'd tell his… brother, someday. Just not today.

His phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out and checked the screen. _Kasie's pacing a hole in the rug._

"We should get back," Tony said, tapping out a message to Donna.

"Results?" Luke asked. His eyes shone with the nervousness Tony could feel roiling around in his belly.

"Probably," Tony said. 

~o~

"Oh, thank god," Kasie said as Tony and Luke passed her on their way into Tony's office.

Tony closed the door and turned to face Kasie, who was clutching a tablet to her white lab coat. She looked… worried, like she wasn't sure how her news was going to go over.

"Just spit it out, Kasie," Tony said.

"Okay, so I ran your DNA against each other," Kasie said. "You have seven alleles in common, which is typical for close relatives."

"So, that proves we're brothers," Luke said. "Right?"

"Well…" Kasie said. "A DNA expert would say that close relatives could be siblings or first cousins. It's unlikely that you're not related at all, but based on these results, I can't say for sure that you're brothers."

Tony cocked his head. "But that's not all, right?"

"No, that's not all," Kasie said, gusting out a sigh. "While I was waiting for your samples to run, I started looking at the letter. I haven't compared the writing samples yet, but I did notice that there were some stains on the paper. Turns out it was teardrops."

"Tell me you were able to extract DNA, Kasie," Tony said.

"I was able to extract DNA from the paper," Kasie said. "Her DNA is a match to both of yours, with ten alleles in common. After that, I decided to run your mitochondrial DNA. That was a one hundred percent match. Which means you're definitely brothers."

Tony let out a shocked breath. For as much as he'd felt in his gut that Luke was his brother, having the DNA results to prove it was still a shock to the system. A quick glance at Luke showed him in a similar state.

"Thanks, Kasie," Tony said. "I'd like you to lock these results in the system. Authorized access only."

"Already done," Kasie said. "I figured you wouldn't want just anyone tiptoeing through your results."

"Good," Tony said. "And if anyone asks why you were running DNA for me—"

"I'll tell them it was for a cold case you were working on," Kasie said. "Unless you'd rather I tell them something else?"

"No, no, that's fine," Tony said. "Thanks, again, Kasie."

"Anytime, sir," Kasie said. She made a dash for the door, drawing a chuckle out of Luke.

"Still kind of excitable, huh?"

"Yeah," Tony said. "It took me a while to convince her that she was the right person for the job. She had this idea that she wasn't nearly as good at forensic analysis as her predecessor. Abby casts a long shadow, apparently. But Kasie's good, maybe even better than Abby was, and that's saying something."

They stood there in the middle of Tony's office, staring at each other for a moment.

"So, now what?" Luke asked.

"I have no idea," Tony said, shaking his head. "This was so not what I expected when I got to work this morning."

"Sorry, not sorry?" Luke said.

Tony laughed. "Come on."

He settled on the couch under the windows. Luke sat down next to him, slouching into the cushions and staring up at the ceiling. It was… odd, seeing a SEAL in full dress uniform practically sprawling on his couch, but he supposed the man had been feeling the stress and uncertainty of the situation far longer than Tony had. He was entitled to just let it all go now that they had some proof that the letter was valid.

"You should probably ask me about the money," Luke said quietly.

"And why's that?" Tony asked. He shifted sideways and leaned his elbow on the back of the couch so he could see Luke better.

"Because Mom told her lawyer that she thought the money might have been stolen," he said, looking over at Tony. "You're not surprised."

"I wish I could say that Senior would never steal anyone's money, but that's exactly how he made his living when I was younger," Tony said. "He's no Frank Abagnale, but he is—or was, at any rate—an honest-to-god conman."

"And you became a cop because…?"

"Because I was trying to right some wrongs?" Tony asked, filling in what Luke hadn't said. "Yeah, maybe. After I blew my knee out at Ohio State, I had to find something new to do. Being a cop seemed like a good idea at the time. Not sure I really thought about the why of it back then. I'm good at puzzles, good at seeing patterns and finding clues that others miss. Why not become a cop?"

"So, you could figure out where the money came from?" Luke asked. "Because I don't want it if it's stolen."

"How much are we talking about?"

"Five million," Luke said. "I guess he really wanted her to go away and stay away."

"Wow," Tony said, shaking his head. "Even at his best, he couldn't have come up with that kind of money. Not pulling the cons he was. But—"

"But what?" Luke asked.

Tony sighed. "But my mother had a trust fund. He could have gotten the money from her."

"Or stolen it from her," Luke said. "Mom told her lawyer that she didn't think your mother ever knew where the baby came from, only that he was abandoned and needed a home."

"Fuck," Tony said. He rubbed a hand over his face. 

His relationship with Senior had been fraught at best until the last ten years or so. His father had appeared to turn over a new leaf, and Tony had been grateful for it. They'd grown closer, and he'd actually begun to enjoy having his father in his life. More for Tali's sake than his own, but he was still glad that they'd seemed to settle into a better relationship.

"I'm sorry," Luke said quietly. "I wasn't even sure I should come, but… I wanted to know. I needed to know."

"I'm not angry with you," Tony said. "I'm… shocked, even though I probably shouldn’t be. Once I get over the shock, I'll probably have about a thousand questions for you. But for now… I'm glad you came today."

"So am I," Luke said, smiling tentatively. "So am I."

~o~


	3. Chapter 3

~o~

Tony was still sitting on the couch an hour later. 

Luke had left after a call from his CO. Tony could admit to a little bit of worry. He'd known what the call was about, even though Luke hadn't said anything. He probably had no idea that Tony's security clearance was probably as high as his due to his work with Gibbs. 

But he wasn't going to press, even though that's what he'd wanted to do. He'd only known about his brother for a little over two hours, and already he felt panic in his chest at the idea of losing him. 

There was a time when Tony had been a loner, relying only on himself for everything. That had all changed the day he'd met Gibbs. For all that the man was as silent as the grave, he was also as steady as the Alleghany River. Tony knew he could count on Gibbs for anything, and at the point in his life when they'd met, that had been everything to him.

"You gonna sit there and brood all day?" Donna asked.

"Maybe," Tony said. He sighed. "This sucks, you know?"

Donna walked into the office and dropped down on the couch next to him. "This does not suck. Sucking would be staying in a Motel 6 in the ass end of nowhere in Nebraska on a summer night in 85 percent humidity, without your luggage and basically being in enemy territory."

"Okay, okay," Tony said, holding up his hands in surrender. "I get it. This doesn't suck. Except it really does."

"Where was he headed?" Donna asked.

"He didn't say, and I wasn't going to ask," Tony said, dropping his hands to his lap. "Probably someplace hostile on the other side of the planet. And now I'm not going to sleep tonight."

"Poor baby," Donna said. She patted his knee. "Bring Tali over tonight. You haven't been over in a while, and Eli misses his girlfriend."

"Eli is not her boyfriend," Tony said, frowning at Donna. Well, he attempted to frown at her. The joke was old, but the truth was that Tali and Eli got along well, and with Meg still out of town, getting out of the house sounded like a good idea. "Fine. We’ll come over. You want me to bring anything?"

"Just yourselves," Donna said. She got up and looked down at him, smirking. "Vance got called away, so I slotted Gibbs in instead. You still haven't gone over last month's budget figures with him. Good luck!"

Donna grinned at him, then headed back to her desk. Gibbs passed her on his way in. 

Tony groaned. The only thing worse than talking budget with Vance was talking budget with Gibbs. McGee had stepped up in a real way when he'd become Gibbs' SFA, but as the team lead, it was up to Gibbs to make sure the team stayed within the budget and negotiate exceptions or increases. Which for Gibbs meant authorizing overspending, and then giving Rule #18 a real workout. Add in Gibbs' functional mute status, and the afternoon was shaping up to be an exercise in frustration.

"Go on in, Special Agent Gibbs," Donna said. "Be warned: he's in a funk."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow at Donna, then turned to Tony, eyebrow still raised as he took in Tony's slouch.

"Everything okay?" Gibbs asked. 

Tony sat up and rubbed his hands over his face. "Just peachy, really. Meg's out of town visiting a friend, the ladies at Tali's preschool were hitting on me again this morning, and now I have to talk budget with you."

"Tell him about Luke!" Donna yelled from her desk in the outer office.

"Luke?" Gibbs asked.

"Yeah," Tony said, sighing. 

He waved Gibbs into the office as he got up and headed for his desk. Gibbs shut the door and joined him. Instead of sitting down behind his desk, he dropped into the guest chair in front of his desk; Gibbs sat down beside him.

"So, who's Luke?" Gibbs asked.

"My brother," Tony said, deciding to just rip the band-aid off. 

"You have a brother?" Gibbs asked, looking confused.

"Apparently, I have a brother," Tony said. "Senior—who is clearly more of a bastard than even I thought he was—had an affair. I'm the result of that affair. Well, me and my brother that I only found out about today." 

Tony got up and paced around the room. 

"Are you sure this guy's legit?" Gibbs asked.

"He's a SEAL. I doubt he came here to defraud me," Tony said. "Besides, I had Kasie test our DNA. She's as sure as she can be that we're actually brothers. Jesus, Gibbs. What am I supposed to do with this?"

"What do you want to do with it?"

"I don't fucking know!" Tony practically yelled. "I feel like—I feel like I've been lied to. Like, everyone in my life is lying to me. Ziva lied to me, and now I have a daughter. My father lied to me, and now I have a brother. And it's not fair to Tali or Luke, but I feel like every time I get lied to, my life gets… Fuck. I can't do this."

"Do what?" Gibbs asked. "Seems to me you don't have a choice."

"You know, every time I find out someone lied to me, my life gets turned upside down," Tony said quietly. "And I have to change to accommodate someone else, when all I've ever done is live the life I wanted to live, and fuck my father and his expectations."

"Not Tali's fault," Gibbs said. "Not Luke's fault, either."

"Yeah," Tony said with a sigh. "I hate that I might resent my own daughter for… anything. It's not her fault, and it's not Luke's fault, and I don't want to resent him for this. He doesn't deserve that."

Gibbs got up and walked across the room, laying a hand on Tony's shoulder.

"What do I do, Gibbs?" Tony asked desperately. "How do I not blame Luke for something he had no control over?"

"Family is a gift, Tony," Gibbs said. "Told you that when you came to see me just before you left town with Tali last year. What do you do when you find out you have a family you never knew you had? You hold on to them, and you never let go. And you remember that you're never promised more than today, so you make the most of it."

Tony took a deep breath. "Yeah. Right."

Tony felt the guilt slice through him. It was so easy to forget that Gibbs had a family and a life before NCIS, and that he'd lost it all. It was easy to think that he'd always been this way, but there'd been a time in his life when he'd been a husband and a father. When he'd been happy and looking forward to what the future held. 

And if there was one thing Tony knew, it was that he didn't want to end up like Gibbs: isolated from the world and living in a state of suspended animation. Tony wanted to live his life, and if that meant rolling with every new punch that came his way, well, that was what he'd do. He didn't really have a choice, anyway.

Gibbs stepped back and Tony rubbed his face again, tilting his head from side to side to work the kinks out. 

"Sorry about that," Tony said when he'd finally shaken off the emotional overload.

"You ever need me, you know where to find me," Gibbs said.

"Wow, did you use up your word quota for the day?" Tony asked, smirking at his former boss.

Gibbs snorted. "Got coffee?"

Donna sailed in at that moment, bearing two mugs with steaming coffee inside. Gibbs took a long sip, his eyes fluttering in bliss. Tony had to smother a smile; Donna, who was standing behind Gibbs, just grinned at him.

Gibbs turned and pressed a quick kiss to Donna's cheek on his way back to the chair in front of Tony's desk. It wasn't the first time he'd done that, but it always made Donna blush. Tony winked at her, then turned and walked around his desk, settling in for what would probably be a long and painful budget discussion.

"So, let's talk budget, shall we?" he asked.

Gibbs snorted again, but instead of saying anything, he just took another sip of his coffee.

~o~

Tony leaned back in his chair and sighed contentedly. Tali and Eli were playing in the family room, and while Tony couldn't see them from where he was sitting, he could hear the joyous laughter as they played a game only the two of them understood.

"So, what are you going to do?" Josh asked.

Joshua Lyman had been the Chief of Staff for President Matt Santos for both terms in office, a rarity in Federal DC. After Santos had left office, Josh had switched gears and taken a professorship at Georgetown University, teaching the next generation of bright political minds. The ink had barely been dry on his contract when he and Donna had married, and Eli came along a year later.

He was also a good friend. They'd met while jogging through the Mall, back when Josh was still recovering from the sniper's bullet that had nearly killed him. Their friendship had come as a surprise to both of them, but Tony valued Josh's insights, and his forthrightness, almost to the point of pain. To own the truth, Josh had been the first person Tony had thought of when he realized he needed someone to talk to.

"I have no fucking clue," Tony said in a burst of honesty.

"How'd you leave it?" Josh asked. "I mean, do you have his number? Can you call him? Talk to him?"

"And say what?" Tony asked, exasperated.

"Oh, I don't know, how about 'what was our mother like?'"

Tony cringed. It hadn't even occurred to him to ask any questions about Luke's mother, even as he'd freely shared the most sordid details about their father.

"I'll take that as a no," Josh said. He tossed his napkin on the table. "Here's the thing, and I think you know this. Having a family is everything. I watched my boss come practically unglued the day his daughter was kidnapped. He was ready to start a war, drop nukes on somebody's ass, go in guns blazing as long as it got his daughter back. What would you do for Tali? What would Luke do for his kids? And if you'd been raised together, what would you do for each other?

"You're family, always have been, if the DNA results can be believed," Josh went on. "And I know you've been disappointed by family in the past, but that's the past. You don't know Luke, except that he's a SEAL—which, I'm assuming they don't hire assholes to be SEALs—so don't you owe it to yourself to find out who he is? Your father clearly wanted to forget he even had another son, but you know about him now, and that's knowledge you can't ignore."

"I know," Tony said quietly. He stared across the room for a moment, listening as Tali and Eli murmured quietly. Donna had put a movie on, and the two kids had snuggled up with her on the couch, entirely enthralled. It made him wonder if Luke's kids did the same thing with Francesca. Which was an answer all its own. "I know I need to… stop trying to blame him for my father's bad acts. He's just as much a victim as I am. Maybe more, because he's had his whole legacy, such as it is, stolen from him. I just… don't know how to start that conversation. Any conversation, really. How do you talk to the brother you never knew you had?"

"There I cannot help you," Josh said in his best Inigo Montoya.

Tony threw his wadded-up napkin at him. "Funny."

"There is something else you should consider," Josh said. He poured a bit more wine in his glass, waggling the bottle at Tony in invitation. Tony just held his glass out; they were probably going to need more wine if they kept talking about this. 

"What else is there?" Tony asked.

"The money," Josh said. "You must have some idea where Senior got the money. Do you think your mother would have given it to him?"

"She was utterly in love with him, so I could see her doing that," Tony said. "But I just don't know. Luke seemed to think that my mother had no idea where I came from, which I can believe. She was… lost in the fog, most of the time."

"So, then, maybe your first order of business should be looking into the family trust," Josh said. "If the money came from your mother, there'd be a record of it. You became the Trustee for her trust fund after her death, right?"

"When I turned 25, yes," Tony said. "Before that, the Paddington family lawyer guarded the vault, and let me tell you, Smaug had nothing on her."

Josh laughed, as he was meant to. "Okay, so call your lawyer. Have him look into it."

"Don't you mean, 'have Harvey's intern look into it'?"

"Same thing, right?" Josh asked with a sly smirk. "I mean, you've said before that you trust him. He was the one that got your father's fingers out of your education trust, back in the day. But if you're looking for someone to have your back, send one of your people. They'll be looking for fraud, which is a federal offense. You could call it an official investigation, if you need to."

"Which would mean I expect to eventually file charges against my own father," Tony said. "This really sucks, you know?"

"No, it really doesn’t," Josh said. "What sucks is—"

"No, really," Tony said, holding up a hand. "I already go the lecture from your wife. Being stuck in the ass end of the Midwest really isn't even close to this."

"You weren't facing off the angry mob with torches and pitchforks," Josh said. "I swear if we'd been in that town just one more hour, we'd have been put on a pike in a field like a scarecrow."

"Melodramatic, much?" Tony asked.

"Look, I know you don't want to investigate your father," Josh said, leaning forward to look Tony in the eye. "But it's not like there's not precedent for this. If he took money from you, you need to get it back. Or what's left of it. And there needs to be real consequences for what he did."

"He's an old man now," Tony said quietly. "Do I really want to be the reason my father dies in prison? I don't know if I want him to miss out on Tali's life like that. She's all he has, really, besides me."

"And he stole from you," Josh said, quietly but forcefully. "He stole money, but more than that, he stole family from you. He stole your mother—both of them—and a brother you never knew you had until today. In no world that I'm aware of is that okay. Justice is blind, my friend, for a reason."

"Yeah," Tony said, gusting out a sigh as he leaned back in his chair. "Yeah."

~o~

Tony dialed the number and waited for it to connect. He had no idea if Luke would pick up, but he had to try.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Luke," Tony said, exhaling sharply with the knowledge that at least he wasn't somewhere unreachable. It wasn't much comfort, but it was a little.

"Tony?" Luke asked. "Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing like that," Tony said. "Besides, isn't that supposed to be my line?"

Luke chuckled. "I'm still in North Carolina. No news is usually good news, and we're in a holding pattern now, but that could change at any moment. What can I do for you?"

"Well, I thought I'd look into the money," Tony said. "I mean, what's mine is yours now anyway, but if Dad didn't steal it from my mother, we need to know."

"Hey, I'm not asking for money from you," Luke said. "I don't want you to think that's the only reason I looked you up. I guess I just… needed to know who my brother is. Maybe meet you, just once."

"I get it," Tony said. He swallowed hard. "The thing is, I have no idea what to do with any of this. I'm just blundering through, at this point. So if I say something stupid, promise you won't hold it against me."

"I can do that," Luke said. "If you'll do the same." He paused, then went on. "You know, I was really pissed at you when I first found out."

"Oh yeah? Why?" Tony asked, though he figured he knew what was coming.

"Because… you got to grow up with him, and I didn't," Luke said. "You knew your father, and while Paul Sundstrom was a good Dad, he isn't—he wasn't my father."

"Well, as a friend pointed out to me recently, we've both been stolen from," Tony said. "You had your father stolen from you, and I had my mother stolen from me. But that doesn’t have to define us, or our relationship."

"Is that something you might want?" Luke asked carefully. "To know me? I'm not—I won't make demands, but I'd like to get to know you. Find out what we have in common. What your favorite food is. Your favorite sport."

"Basketball," Tony blurted out. "I used to play basketball at Ohio State. Football, too, before I broke my leg. There's a bunch of guys from the alphabet soup that I play pick-up games with whenever I get the chance."

"Yeah?" Luke asked. "I'm not too bad myself. With as much downtime as we have, basketball and weightlifting are probably the top two recreational activities around here."

"Huh," Tony said, more surprised than he'd admit that they both liked basketball. "So maybe the next time we see each other we'll have to play a game. See what you're made of."

"Sure," Luke said. "I'd love to get my ass kicked by a Big 10 point guard."

"Looked me up, did you?" Tony asked, chuckling. 

"Yeah, I did," Luke said. "What? My big brother played D1 basketball. You think I'm not gonna brag on that?"

"Slow your roll, Junior," Tony said. "That was a long time ago, and I wasn't even a starter. Besides, like I said, I broke my leg, which was the end of my basketball career, and I'm… well, let's just say I'm old enough that the body doesn't work the way it used to."

"I know exactly how old you are, Tony. Remember?" Luke said. "And I'm going to call bullshit on you being out of shape. You might have been wearing a suit, but I could see the muscles underneath."

"It used to be easier to stay in shape," Tony lamented. "Before Tali."

Luke chuckled. "Yeah, kids do tend to reorganize your priorities."

There was some muffled noise in the background that Tony couldn't quite make out. He thought he heard someone talking, but it could just as easily have been the radio.

"Listen, Tony, I gotta go," Luke said after a moment. "I'll send you the contact information for my mother's lawyer. He knows you might reach out. I may be out of touch for a bit, but I'll send you my wife's number, too. She knows what's going on and can help if you need it."

"Thanks, Luke," Tony said. He rattled off his personal email address, then paused for a moment. "Happy hunting."

He could hear Luke's smile through the phone. "Thanks."

Tony hung up and stared at his phone for a moment. It had all felt so natural; he had felt the resentment sliding away, little by little as they talked. 

"You okay?" 

Tony looked up, finding Donna leaning against the door jamb. "Yeah, I'm good." Donna raised an eyebrow, drawing a smile out of him. "Really. It's just… one foot in front of the other."

"You got that from a Christmas special, didn't you?" Donna asked, pointing at him.

"I have a four-year-old," Tony said. "What do you think?"

"So, Bishop or McGee?"

"Bishop or McGee what?" Tony asked, frowning.

"Who do you want to send to New York?" Donna asked. "Personally, I think Harvey would have McGee for breakfast, but you've known him a long time, and you trust him."

Tony tilted his head. He was extremely proud of Timothy McGee and how far he'd come from the young, arrogant-yet-uncertain Probie he'd been when he'd first joined the MCRT. But this? He wasn't sure he wanted McGee all up in his business like this. 

"Bishop," Tony said. "Have her come up at the end of the day. I'll explain it to her then."

"And who's going to explain it to Gibbs?"

Tony's face showed momentary panic before he could school it into his usual mask. Donna just laughed at him as she walked back to her desk.

~o~


	4. Chapter 4

~o~

Tony knocked on the door and waited for an answer. Unlike Gibbs, Tony knew how to actually request entrance to a room. Vance's answer came seconds later, so Tony pushed the door open and stepped inside.

"DiNozzo," Vance said. "We weren’t scheduled to meet today, were we?"

"No, sir," Tony said. "Carla pushed our budget meeting out to next week, but I was able to meet with Gibbs and go over his last quarter's worth of expenditures. I should have the final figures before we meet."

"Okay," Vance said. "But I get the feeling you didn't come in here to tell me that."

"No, I didn't," Tony said. He pointed at the chairs in front of Vance's desk. "May I?"

Vance waved at him. "Please."

Tony settled in and cleared his throat. He hadn't planned to involve Vance in his personal business, at least until he had a clearer idea of what his personal business entailed. But, he also realized that if he were going to use NCIS resources to investigate his father, he needed to get Vance's buy-in.

"Whatever it is, just spit it out," Vance said.

"Right," Tony said. "So yesterday I met with a Navy SEAL. Commander Luke Sundstrom."

"He a friend of yours?"

"In a manner of speaking," Tony said. He took a deep breath. "As it turns out, he's my brother."

"And I take it you didn't know you had a brother before yesterday," Vance said. "You sure he's legit?" 

"I had no idea, but I did have Kasie run our DNA," Tony said.

"You're a match?" Vance asked.

"Across the board, including mitochondrial DNA," Tony said. "He clued me in to the fact that my father paid his mother to go away at some point. Five million dollars."

Vance whistled. "That's not an insignificant number. Where do you think he got the money?"

"That's what I'd like to know, sir," Tony said. "You see, my mother had a trust fund. I think maybe he took the money to pay off his mistress from that trust fund. But, given his past, it's also just as possible that he stole that money from a mark. Luke doesn't want any part of stolen money. Frankly, neither do I, but if the money is my mother's, I need to know so it can be returned to the trust fund. Maybe even returned to the Paddingtons."

"You suspect something else is going on?" Vance asked, surprising Tony with his insightfulness.

"I was never told I was adopted," he said. "And as far as I know, there are no records of an adoption in my parents' papers. My birth certificate shows Claire Paddington and Anthony DiNozzo Sr. as my parents, which wouldn't be unusual if I were adopted. The courts issue new birth certificates during adoption proceedings all the time."

"But…"

Tony sighed. "But given the kind of man my father was, and given what he used to do for a living… I just need to be sure everything is on the up and up. Plus, given my position, I don't want to reflect poorly on NCIS."

"Well, I appreciate your candor, DiNozzo," Vance said. "I assume that you've got a plan for how to address this issue."

"Yes, sir," Tony said. "With your permission, I'd like to assign an investigator to work with my attorney, Harvey Specter. They can investigate the trust and any other aspects of the case that they uncover."

"Specter, huh?" Vance said, raising his eyebrow. "That man is the most vicious lawyer on the eastern seaboard. How'd you end up one of his clients?"

Tony chuckled. "I met Harvey back when I was playing for Ohio State. He helped me sort out some issues with my education trust."

In point of fact, Harvey had gone after his father after Tony discovered that his father was pretending to be him in order to gain access to his educational trust. Harvey had been a young, fresh-faced law student working under the supervision of Jessica Pearson. He'd taken the case with enthusiasm, and had successfully beaten his father and his high-priced lawyers. Tony had been impressed, and Harvey had simply kept him as a client, even after his career-ending injury.

"Alright," Vance said. "Who did you have in mind to investigate this case?"

"I'm thinking of sending Special Agent Bishop to New York, with your permission."

"Alright," Vance said. "I agree that, given your position and career track, we want to nip this in the bud before it becomes a scandal neither one of us can run away from. Send Bishop, but let her know that I'm officially supervising this investigation. I'll expect her report when she's completed the investigation. She can report progress to both of us, though if any major decisions need to be made, I'd prefer it if you left those up to me."

"Thank you, sir," Tony said as he stood up.

"You know, you have a lot of vacation time saved up," Vance said, leaning back in his chair. "Even after your extended leave. Might be good to spend some of that time getting to know your brother."

"I'll keep that in mind," Tony said, ghosting a smile.

He headed out of the office, aware that he'd just been had. HR had been pestering him to take some of his accumulated vacation time since he'd returned to the agency. Tony was, truthfully, viscerally allergic to vacations. Although now he had a good reason to actually take one. 

~o~

Bishop knocked on the door as she swung it open. Tony looked up from the report he was reviewing, waving her into the office as he closed the folder.

"Donna said you wanted to see me?" Bishop asked.

Tony indicated the chair in front of his desk. "Have a seat."

"So, what's up?" Bishop asked as she settled in.

"I need to ask you for a favor," Tony said. He folded his hands on his desk to keep from fidgeting. He normally didn't like to talk about his personal business, but it wasn't like Bishop didn't know at least some of it. "And I need you to keep this to yourself."

"Okay," she said, elongating the 'o'.

Tony sighed. "I need you to go to New York and meet with my lawyer. All the information is in this folder."

He handed the folder to her. She took it and opened it right away, her eyebrows rising with each line she read. 

"Your—this isn’t a joke, right?" she asked, looking up. "This is for real?"

"Yeah, it's for real," Tony said. "Unfortunately, my family is more like a telenovela than I'm actually comfortable with. I need you to work with Harvey and his team to figure out where the money came from. I also need you to look into the Paddington Family Trust. I want to make sure that the language that gave me the trusteeship isn't written to exclude adopted children."

"Anything else?" Bishop asked.

"You mean, this isn't enough?" Tony asked. He shook his head. "Just follow your instincts. I trust you with this. Keep me posted, but otherwise, you're free to follow the investigation wherever it leads."

"Is this an official NCIS investigation?"

"It is, for now," Tony said. "Vance has signed off on this, so you don't have to worry that you're sneaking around behind his back. We need to know just how far my father's bad acts went. It doesn't look good for an NCIS SAC to have a father who defrauded and embezzled from a powerful British family, so we'll want to keep it as quiet as we can."

"Right," Bishop said. She shook her head. "It's just…"

"Go ahead," Tony said when she trailed off. "Just say it. You're not thinking anything I haven't already thought of."

"Well, Senior has always been so kind to me," Bishop said. "I mean, I know you've said he used to be a conman, but he seems like such a harmless old man that it's hard to imagine him pulling a con, much less this."

"I think that's his superpower, honestly," Tony said. "And for all I know, he's a reformed conman at this point. I try not to look to hard at what he's doing and where he gets his money. Maybe that's short-sighted for someone in my position, but it's never served me in the past to dig too deeply into his activities."

"Well, whatever's going on, I'll figure it out," she said. "You want regular updates?"

"Unless it's something urgent, a phone call once a day will suffice," Tony said. "As the… victim, I can't be too involved. And your final report will go to Vance, just so you know."

"Got it," Bishop said. "All I's dotted and T's crossed."

"Thanks for doing this, Ellie," Tony said quietly.

"Anytime, Tony," she said. "You know that."

~o~

Tony was assaulted by three feet of spitfire the second he stepped through his front door. He dropped his messenger bag under the entry table and shrugged out of his jacket, dropping it on top of the table to be hung up later, all while his daughter clung to his legs and chattered excitedly about her art class that day.

"You're going to have to show me this Picasso, Munchkin," Tony said as he scooped his little girl up and headed for the kitchen.

"Daddy," Tali whined. "It has to hang on the wall at school until the end of the week."

Her tone told him that she'd already given him this detail more than once. "I'm impatient to have it on my fridge. Sue me."

Tali—as expected—giggled riotously. He pressed a kiss to her cheek as he walked into the kitchen. Meg was standing at the stove, stirring something that smelled great. He walked over and dropped a kiss on her cheek as well.

"Welcome home, my dear," he said. He set Tali down in her chair at the table and kissed her one more time. "Stay here with Meg for a bit. I'll be right back."

"Okay, Daddy," Tali said. 

She grabbed the coloring book she'd been working on before he arrived and picked up a crayon, getting back to work on her Disney princesses. Tony shook his head and smiled. He turned and headed for his office, placing his gun in the safe. Despite being promoted to SAC, he hadn't been able to let go of the habit of carrying a gun. He didn't need it, but he felt better carrying it. He ran upstairs and stripped out of his suit, pulling on a sweatshirt and a pair of old, faded jeans. 

He jogged down the stairs and stopped in the doorway to the kitchen, leaning against the jamb as he watched Meg pull dinner together and chat with Tali about her day. Mary Margaret Donovan had been the wife of his first training officer, back when he'd joined the Peoria PD. He'd run into her at the supermarket his first week back in DC, and within minutes, she'd hired herself to be Tali's nanny, and had moved herself into his house. It had been the most surreal experience of his life, but he was simply too grateful to her for all she'd done for him to complain about the fact that she'd very quickly become the boss of both of them.

"Are you going to lurk around over there all night, or are you going to make yourself useful and set the table?" Meg asked without looking behind her.

Tony would never not be impressed by her ability to sense things around her without actually seeing them. Tony thought it came from being a cop's wife; Meg said it came from being a mother. The truth was probably somewhere in between.

"What are we having?" Tony asked as he crossed to the cabinets to pull out dishes.

"Beef stew," she said, giving the pot one more stir before she put the lid back on. "There's some fresh bread in the oven staying warm."

"Mmmmm," Tony hummed. He pulled out bowls and plates and set the table while also helping Tali clean up her coloring books. "So, did you have a good visit with… what was her name?"

"Ida Loesser," Meg said. She walked the soup tureen over to the table and set it near her usual seat. "Which you know very well, you scamp. And yes, we had a lovely time. I can still take her lunch money at the poker table, so all's right in my world."

Tony laughed. "Maybe they should just call you The Cincinnati Kid."

"I can still take your lunch money, too, boyo," Meg said, whacking the back of her hand against his arm. "And don't you forget it."

"Yes, ma'am," Tony said, still chuckling.

They powered through the stew and bread, and Tony poured a nice red wine for he and Meg. While Meg took care of the dishes, Tony gave Tali a bath and got her settled into bed. Meg popped upstairs briefly to kiss her goodnight, and then Tony read her a story before tucking her in and turning out the light. 

By the time he made it downstairs, Meg had more wine and two slices of cheesecake from her favorite bakery in New York waiting for him.

"And now I'm going to have to run an extra five miles to work off this cheesecake," he said as he sat down. He dug in right away, drawing a chuckle out of Meg.

"And yet you plan to eat the whole piece."

"What?" Tony said. "It'd be a waste not to."

"Uh huh," Meg said. She shook her head, even as she smiled at him. "So, tell me what's been going on with you. You sounded preoccupied on the phone the last couple of days."

Tony sighed. "That's a loaded question, if ever I've heard one."

"That bad?" she asked, one eyebrow raised.

He sighed again, then proceeded to tell her the whole sad, sordid tale as they ate. By the time he'd finished, Meg looked fit to be tied.

"That bloody, buggering bastard," she muttered. It was times like this that Tony really appreciated how creatively the British could swear.

"Yeah, that about sums it up," he said. He tossed his napkin on the table, leaned back and shook his head.

"Do you know what you're going to do?"

Tony snorted. "What I always do: survive. Beyond that, I'm sending one of my investigators up to New York to look into the trust, to see if that's where the money came from. I've also asked her to look up my adoption records, so we can verify that I'm even legitimately a Paddington."

"And if you're not?" Meg asked. "What will you do?"

"Give the money back and walk away," Tony said. "It's not like I've ever been very welcome in that family anyway. Grandfather hated Senior, so it shouldn't be all that hard. Clive should be more than grateful to get my mother's trust fund back. Or at least what's left of it after Senior raided it."

"Oh, Tony," Meg said. She reached over and squeezed his hand. "They don't deserve you anyway. None of them could ever see past your father to the unique and special person you've always been. I say you're well rid of them."

"Thanks, Meg," Tony said, squeezing back.

"And what about this young man? Luke," Meg said. "Are you going to see him again?"

"Gah, it sounds like we're dating," Tony said with a shudder.

Meg slapped his arm. "Stop being so melodramatic and tell me what you're going to do about Luke."

"We talked a bit about that, actually," Tony said. "I think… I'd like to get to know my brother, and he wants the same thing. I have no idea how that'll even work, but… I don't know. Maybe something good will come out of all of this."

"To offset the bad that your father has done," Meg said. She was one of just a few people in the world who could seemingly read his mind; it always creeped him out, but at the same time, he was glad someone else understood him like that. "You do know that it's not up to you to right your father's wrongs?"

"I know," Tony said. "I can't help the people he conned in the past, but I can help my own brother. And if it turns out he stole that money, no matter who he stole it from… well, I guess that'll mean we're the only family we'll have left."

"And you have me," she said. "Patrick adored you, thought of you as another son. You know I'm always here for you, no matter what."

"Thanks, Meg," Tony said. "That means a lot."

~o~


	5. Chapter 5

~o~

The phone on Tony's desk beeped, signaling a call coming through. He'd asked Donna to get Harvey on the phone so he could warn the man that he'd have a NCIS investigator in his office for the foreseeable future. Knowing Harvey, as soon as he heard why, he'd be wound up and raring to go after Senior.

Tony could almost pity the man, except for the part where he'd pulled the one con guaranteed to piss Tony off: he'd stolen Tony's family from him.

He picked up the receiver and listened as the call was transferred.

"Tony," Harvey said by way of greeting. "To what do I owe this dubious pleasure? Please tell me you're not under arrest again."

"I'm not under arrest again, you asshole," Tony said with a chuckle. "And it's good to talk to you too."

"It's always good to talk to me," Harvey said. Tony rolled his eyes at the arrogance of the man. He couldn't deny that Harvey Specter was good at what he did; that was why he paid the man his completely ridiculous hourly rate. "But seriously, what's wrong? Senior take a walk through your trust fund again?"

"Maybe?" Tony said.

"That bastard," Harvey said. "Okay, give me the particulars and I'll get on it."

"Don't you mean you'll get your intern on it?" Tony jabbed back.

"That's what I said," Harvey rejoined. 

Tony chuckled. It was an old back-and-forth between them, especially since Harvey had made senior partner. But Tony had always enjoyed their banter, so it was almost a comfort to just fall right into it.

"Okay, so here's the deal," Tony said. "Turns out my father had an affair—a long affair—with his secretary, back in the day. She gave birth to two sons, one of whom my father took custody of. I have DNA reports and the woman's will, plus a letter explaining everything. He gave this woman five million dollars to take her second son and disappear. I need to know—"

"If he took the money from your mother to pay off his little chippy," Harvey said, and Tony could just hear the man shaking his head. "What a fucking bastard, Tony."

"Yeah, and fuck my life for being this fucking insane," Tony said. "Anyway, now that I'm SAC for the DC Field Office, this sort of thing is less easy to just brush under the rug. I wasn't complicit in the alleged crime, but it reflects poorly on me and the agency to have a father who potentially embezzled money from his wife's trust fund to pay off his mistress."

"I get it," Harvey said. "You want me to pull the trust record, see if we can track the money that way. How sure are you that's where the money came from?"

"Given Senior's… proclivities, maybe 80-20?" Tony said, though it sounded like a question to his ears. "Plus, I need to find out if my mother legally adopted me. I wouldn't put it past Senior to have just paid someone to falsify my birth certificate."

"That's going to be trickier," Harvey said. "We have all your mother's paperwork, but if the adoption papers aren't in there, we'd likely need a subpoena to get at the ones in the New York Registrar's Office."

"Which is why I'm sending one of my agents to you," Tony said. "Ellie Bishop. She's a top-notch investigator and a friend of mine, so I'd like you to roll out the red carpet. I've given her blanket permission to investigate to her heart's content, and to follow the leads no matter where they go. She'll have all the details, including the relevant documents for the investigation. And just in case you need it, you have my permission to discuss any aspect of the case with her, including my confidential business."

Harvey whistled. "You must really trust her."

"I trained her," Tony said, "so I know what kind of person she is, and what kind of investigator she is. She used to work as an analyst at NSA, so she's good with puzzles."

"Good to know," Harvey said. "I'll have her sit down with Mike and start going through the paperwork we have. I'll also request any other documentation the bank might have. When will she be here?"

"She's wrapping up an investigation as we speak," Tony said. "I'll check with her and send her flight information as soon as I have it, but I expect probably late tomorrow."

"Okay, I should have everything ready by then," Harvey said. 

"Good," Tony said. "And thanks. To both of you."

"No need for thanks," Harvey said. "It's my pleasure to go after your bastard of a father. Again. Where is he, by the way?"

"I don't know," Tony said. "I rarely ask. He usually just shows up when he's low on funds. Somehow, he got word that I was consulting with Interpol while I was in Paris, so he showed up and bonded with Tali. It was absurdly charming, watching him play tea party with my daughter."

"You do realize this might end with your father in jail," Harvey said quietly. 

"Yeah, I do," Tony said. "And right about now, I have zero fucks to give. It's one thing to take my mother's money. It's an entirely different thing to walk away from his own son without looking back. Throwing money at the problem hardly qualifies as 'taking responsibility', especially if that money didn't belong to him in the first place."

"Okay, I just want to make sure we're on the same page," Harvey said. "Because I'm not going to stop this time. If he stole from you, I’m going to nail his ass to the wall, no matter what you say."

"I get it, Harvey," Tony said, voice tight. "And I can't say I'm exactly pleased. We've been getting along the last several years. He's… mellowed out in his old age. I thought we'd really connected. Turns out he's pulling the con of his life on his own son. I just… I'm done."

"Good," Harvey said. "Because it's about damned time you washed your hands of that bastard."

"Just… never mind," Tony said. "Thanks. For everything."

"I promise I won't even overcharge you," Harvey said magnanimously.

"Gee, thanks," Tony said, rolling his eyes.

"Well, you're sending me a flunky," Harvey said. "I can't complain; I'm getting free labor."

"Just don't work her into the ground," Tony said. "I need her back."

"Uh huh," Harvey said. "I make no promises. Talk to you soon."

"Thanks," Tony said.

The line clicked, and Tony hung up. He leaned back in his chair, a pit settling in his belly. He hated that he'd ignored his past history with his father and allowed himself to be lulled into a false sense of security where that relationship was concerned. Despite his past history, he'd thought Senior had turned over a new leaf. Turned out his father had been working the longest con of his dubious career.

Well, Tony hadn't lied to Harvey: he was so done with his father and all his antics. There was no explanation that would make what he'd done right. He wasn't sure he needed his father to go to jail for it, but that decision was out of his hands, as it should have been all along.

Donna suddenly appeared in front of his desk with a large cup of coffee from his favorite shop. He eyed her suspiciously, having no idea when or even how she'd gotten the coffee when she'd been sitting right outside his office all day.

"Have you been using interns as your own personal slaves again?" he asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Rule #6, boss," she said with a wink as she headed back to her own desk.

Tony just sighed. What did it say about him that all the women he knew ran his life?

~o~

"Hey, Tony."

"Luke," Tony said, completely surprised. "Are you guys back already?"

"We just got back last night," Luke said. "It's been a long couple of days."

"So I heard," Tony said.

"You heard?" Luke asked. "How? Your security clearance can't be that high, can it?"

Tony chuckled. "Yeah, actually it is. When I first came on board NCIS, it was just me and Gibbs. We were the only major case team on the East Coast, so we got all the priority investigations, including the ones where a high security clearance was required. Gibbs has Top Secret or better, so they bumped mine up to match."

"Wait, Gibbs?" Luke asked. "As in Leroy Jethro Gibbs? I've heard of him."

"Who hasn't?" Tony said. "Anyway, we were in MTAC earlier today when a report came through on a raid in Medellin. That you guys?"

"Maybe," Luke said. "You know I can't talk about it, security clearance notwithstanding."

"As long as everyone made it back in one piece, I'm good with that."

"Yeah, everyone made it back," Luke said. "I have a good team. My Master Chief has been with me for about five years now, and he runs a tight ship. I'd put Delta Team up against anyone and bet on the outcome."

"I've met some of the teams, so I can imagine," Tony said. "You guys can get a little competitive."

"You could say that," Luke said. "You know, I asked around about you."

"You did, huh?" Tony asked. He had an idea of what Luke had heard, but he wanted to hear it from Luke.

"I came up through the Teams with Steve McGarrett," Luke said. "He says you're a good man who got a rough deal. He also said that if you ever called and needed his help, he'd be on a plane to wherever you were, no questions asked."

"Wow," Tony said. He hadn't known that about the man, but it was good to hear. 

"How do you know him?"

Tony felt a spike of shame go through him for just a moment before he could shake it off. What happened hadn't been his fault, and it was just one more sign that his father wasn't the sort of person who should ever have had kids.

"My father took me to Hawaii with him on a business trip when I was eleven or so," Tony said, voice subdued. "When the deal fell through, he raced off to the airport to catch the next flight out. Apparently, he'd caught wind of another possible deal, and just… left. Totally forgot that I was with him. The hotel noticed that the room was still occupied and called HPD. It was John McGarrett—Steve's father—who came to investigate. I stayed with him for a few days until my father could be bothered to send a plane ticket. Steve and I hung out together while the adults sorted it all out."

"Jesus, Tony," Luke said. Tony could hear the devastation in his voice.

"It's—" He was about to say 'it's okay', but it really wasn't, and never had been. "It's just one more reason why I should have cut my father out of my life a long time ago. But now with Tali… I'm just not sure what's going to happen. I don't want her hurt like I was."

"I don't know what to say," Luke said quietly.

"Nothing to say," Tony said, shrugging even though Luke couldn't see it through the phone. "I might wish things were different, but this is my life, for better or worse." He took a deep breath. "But enough about me. Tell me something about you. Tell me how you wound up married to Admiral Chegwidden's daughter. I can only imagine what it was like, asking for her hand in marriage."

"Worst fucking day of my life," Luke said. "And that includes all of BUDs. I was so nervous I thought I was going to puke on him. And he just stood there like a smug son-of-a-bitch, grinning at my nerves."

Tony laughed outright. "Yeah, I can see that. He used to be a SEAL, so he's still got that whole 'I could crush you with my pinky' thing going on."

"He's less intimidating once you've seen him wearing lip gloss and pink nail polish," Luke said confidentially.

"I hope you've got photographic evidence of this," Tony said, laughing out loud at the image in his head. 

"I do," Luke said. "I snuck a couple of pictures when he wasn't looking. I figure I'll haul them out when my daughter gets married or something."

"He'll kill you, you know that, right?"

"Eh," Luke said, and Tony could hear the shrug in his voice. "He loves my little girl like the air he breathes, and Livvie loves her Grandad. I think he'd do a lot for her."

"So, tell me how you and Francesca met," Tony said, very deliberately not thinking about grandfathers and their granddaughters.

"My mom used to work at the JAG office at the Pentagon," Luke said. "Don't know if I mentioned that before. Anyway, that's where she met my dad—I mean, Paul."

"Hey, don't do that," Tony said. "Paul was your father just as much as Claire was my mother. We can't rewrite the past, so let's don't even try. Okay?"

Luke went quiet for a moment. "Yeah, okay. I can make that deal." He took a deep breath. "So, anyway, my dad was a JAG lawyer, so we'd always go to the JAG picnic on the 4th of July on the mall. We'd barbeque and play games and then watch the fireworks at the end of the night. I had to miss a lot of them once I went into the Navy, but I was always welcomed back whenever I could make it."

"Sounds nice," Tony said, thinking of all the days, nights and weekends when the team had gotten together after a tough case or to celebrate something.

"It was," Luke said. "It was like having a whole bunch of nosy relatives who weren't in any way related to me, actually. And even after the Admiral retired, he'd always make it a point to join us. I met Chessa when she came with him one year. We just hit it off. Turns out she loves old movies and baseball. And frankly, that accent will never not be sexy."

"I notice you still call him 'The Admiral'," Tony said.

Luke chuckled. "Yeah, well, I may call him AJ to his face, but he'll never not be the Admiral. Plus, it's not like I'm the only one. Everyone on my team calls him Admiral, too. His reputation commands the respect, if nothing else."

"He was a badass, as I understand it," Tony said. "Then again, so are you."

"Read my file, did you?" Luke asked.

"The unredacted one," Tony said. "A high security clearance has to be good for something, right?"

"Not sure checking up on your little brother qualifies as a good enough reason as far as the Navy is concerned," Luke said.

"Hey, you were the one who made an appointment with me out of the blue," Tony said, defending himself. "I had to give your jacket a hard look. You've seen some shit, that's for sure."

"Yeah, well, being part of DevGru has been an adventure," Luke said. "We always get the most interesting missions."

"That's one way to put it," Tony said, laughing. "So, are you going to be home for a while?"

"Our next rotation won't be for at least six months," Luke said. "Hey, how about you and Tali come down sometime. I'd love to meet her, and have her meet the kids."

"I'd like that," Tony said. "I'll have a look at my calendar and send you some dates."

"Sounds good," Luke said. "Listen, I need to get going. It was good talking to you. Really."

"I'm glad we got the chance to talk," Tony said. "I'll let you know when I hear from Bishop. She's huddling with my lawyer to look into the trust fund and adoption records."

"Well, let me know if you need anything else on that front," Luke said. "I've got all my mother's paperwork, and her lawyer has whatever I don't. We're happy to send over whatever you might need."

"Thanks," Tony said. "I'll let Harvey know, in case he needs to reach out to you."

"Works for me," Luke said. "Take care of yourself, Tony."

"I'm not the one that gets called into hot zones at a moment's notice," Tony said. "Be safe yourself."

"The bad guys haven't figured out how to attack TOC yet, so I think I'm good," Luke said. "But I promise I'll watch my back."

"Good night," Tony said.

He hung up, staring at the phone for a moment, a smile tugging at his lips. He'd called Luke on a whim because he'd been feeling at loose ends. Bishop had texted that she'd arrived and was settling in, but that she wasn't going to really dig in until the next day, which had left Tony feeling unsettled. He wasn't sure what he hoped she would find, and he hated feeling so conflicted.

Tony shook himself out of his thoughts and grabbed his tablet. He pulled up Netflix and ran through his choices, looking for something to distract himself from everything going on.

~o~

The text from Bishop came in while Tony was giving Tali a bath. He'd tapped out a quick message that he'd call after he put his daughter to bed.

The worry that he'd mostly kept at bay over the last couple of days came roaring back. He wasn't honestly sure what he wanted to hear from her, but it wasn't like he had any control in this situation. He just hoped that, whatever it was Bishop had to report, it wouldn't upend his life. Or, at least not any more than it had already been.

The phone rang a couple of times before Bishop answered.

"Hey, ProBish," Tony said, attempting light-hearted banter. He had a feeling she could hear the nervousness in his voice, but he was going with the old adage: fake it 'til you make it.

"Hey, Tony," Bishop said. 

"So, how are you liking New York?" he asked.

"It's louder and busier than DC, that's for sure," she said. "And oh my god, have you seen Harvey and Mike's condo? This place is amazing!"

"Yeah, it's pretty great, actually," Tony said. "Did they invite you over for dinner?"

"I'm actually staying with them," Bishop said. "Mike said something about a guest room they almost never use, and government travel budgets that would have landed me in a Motel 6 somewhere on the Jersey Turnpike. I have no idea, but I'm not complaining."

"I wouldn't have either," Tony said, chuckling. "And tell Mike my budget thanks him very much."

"Will do," Bishop said. "But honestly, I feel like I'm getting a spa weekend out of this. Well, without the massage, but with the ridiculous views and the amazing food."

"Harvey's a foodie," Tony said. "If it weren't for him, Mike would eat burgers and mac and cheese every day. The heathen."

Bishop chuckled. "I could totally see that. He's so much more laid back than Harvey. They're like yin and yang, actually."

"Yeah, they complement each other well, professionally and personally," Tony said. "I remember when Mike first came on board. Harvey would call me and bitch for a solid fifteen minutes about Mike's latest antics before we ever got to talking about my actual business. Frankly, I enjoy the part where Mike keeps Harvey on his toes."

"They have a new intern who's even more of a spitfire than Mike was, or so I'm told," Bishop said. "She was helping out with getting documents and lunch today. Nice girl. Mike says he hopes Harvey doesn't scare her away with his—and I quote—'assholishness'. Is that even a word?"

"It is when you're talking about Harvey," Tony said, laughing. "But that's what his clients pay for. He's a shark in a custom-tailored suit. The opposition usually tries to settle to avoid trial, that's how much he scares people."

"I could see that," Bishop said. "Speaking of which…"

"Subtle, Bishop," Tony said, shaking his head even though she couldn't see him. "Very subtle.

"So, the trust," Bishop said. "I read through the trust documents, and it looks like you're fine on that front. The trust stipulates that, upon the death of your mother, that you become the trustee on your thirtieth birthday. It lists you by name, and not by relationship, so Harvey is pretty sure it'd hold up in court if the Paddington's were to come after you for the money."

"Well, that's something, at least," Tony said. Not that he cared; he really didn't want or need the Paddingtons' money.

"Also—and this is rather interesting—there was a shadow trust," Bishop said.

"A what?"

"A shadow trust," Bishop said. "We had one of the other attorney's in the office come in and explain it to us, because Harvey had never seen anything like it before. Apparently, the trust was split into two parts. Your mother had access to the main trust, but there was a reserve that was only accessible by the trustee of the larger Paddington Family Trust. Whoever that was, he or she was the only person who could release the remainder of the trust, and only if the trust maintained a certain threshold during her lifetime. It appears that that portion of the trust was to be released automatically when the successor trustee turned forty, regardless. Did you get any notification?"

"I don't remember seeing anything," Tony said. "But I'm rarely in touch with anyone on that side of the family. Their dislike for my father makes our relationship… distant, to say the least."

"Hmmm," Bishop hummed. "I'll add that to the list of things we're looking into."

"Just how much was in this shadow trust?"

"As of today, it's got about ten million dollars," Bishop said. "Roughly."

"Holy shit!" Tony rubbed his forehead. "Are you telling me I have more than ten million dollars in my trust fund now?"

"Yes, that's what I'm saying," Bishop said. "We've also requested all the documents the probate court has for your mother's estate. Mike and I agree that there's something hinky going on, because you should have been notified about the shadow trust at the same time you were notified about your personal trust."

Tony sighed. "I wouldn't put it past my father to have had something to do with that, especially if he knew about the shadow trust. He'd have been pissed that the Paddingtons were trying to hide money from him."

"Well, if he did, we'll find out," Bishop said. "I just… are you really okay with all of this? I mean, it's a lot to take in."

"Yeah, it is, and the hits just keep coming," Tony said. "But it's not like I can get off the crazy train. Just keep doing what you're doing, and don't worry about how I might react to any of it. We need to get to the truth, no matter what that might cost me."

"Okay," Bishop said. "I promise that I won't stop digging until I've found everything there is to find."

"That's why I asked for you to handle this," Tony said. "And thank you. For everything you're doing."

"I should be the one thanking you, Tony," Bishop said. "This condo is like being on vacation. Seriously. I may never want to leave."

"Just be careful," Tony said. "Harvey and Mike's room has a glass wall overlooking the living room, and they aren't always as careful as they should be about not exposing guests to… certain activities."

"I get the feeling that's hotter than it has a right to be," Bishop said, "but consider me warned. Whatever happens from here on out isn't your fault. And that goes for all of it, not just Harvey and Mike's extracurriculars."

Tony chuckled. "Thanks. I'll talk to you soon."

"Bye," Bishop said.

"Was that Ellie?" Meg asked as she walked into the den carrying two mugs. She handed one over to Tony and settled on the couch beside him with the other.

"Yes, it was," Tony said. He took a sip, reveling in the richness of the hot chocolate that was her specialty. "She's found out there was more money in my mother's trust than I'd originally thought."

"Money your father didn't have access to?" she asked. "Well, wonders never cease."

"Yeah, enough that I could retire tomorrow and still be able to make it into my eighties before I even have to think about touching my pension," Tony said. 

That kind of money honestly freaked him out, but since he didn't have a choice, he just shoved it aside to think about later.

"Well, good," Meg said, winking at him. "I wouldn't mind being treated to the lap of luxury for the foreseeable future."

"Says she who haunts the dollar store for toothpaste," Tony said.

"There are things one shouldn't overpay on."

"And toothpaste is one of them?" Tony asked. "You are an odd duck. Has anyone ever told you that?"

"Only every day of my marriage," she said. "But you like me this way. Makes me fit in better around here."

Tony reached out and pulled Meg into his side, squeezing her gently as he dropped a kiss into her hair. "And that's why I like you, Mary Margaret Donovan."

~o~


	6. Chapter 6

~o~

Tony was in MTAC when all hell broke loose.

The red emergency light started flashing just as Tony and Vance were finishing up a call with several of the larger field offices.

"Agent Sumner, what's going on?" Vance asked the technician as the rest of the SACs signed off.

"Active shooter in the building, sir," Sumner said. "The building's been locked down, per protocol, and REACT has been notified."

"Do we know where the shooter got a gun?" Tony asked. He approached the console and started scanning the screens, looking for clues to who their shooter was and what he might want.

"No, sir," Sumner said. She glanced at Tony. "But, it looks like he came up from the interrogation level."

Tony frowned. "He doesn't appear to have any objective in mind. Just wandering the halls. What's he doing here?"

"Domestic dispute, sir," Sumner said. "Don't know if he was the perp or the victim, though."

"He looks like he's headed for the bullpen," Vance said. "We should have a perfect view just outside this room."

"And you're not going out there, Director," Tony said. When Vance opened his mouth to speak, Tony held up a hand. "Are you armed? Sir."

Vance pursed his lips. "No. I'm not. But I suppose you are."

"Rule #9," Tony said as he pulled out his gun. "Well, a variation of 9, anyway. 'Never go anywhere unarmed.'"

"Tell me, are any of these rules written down?" Vance asked.

Tony grinned. "Hell no. That's the point. You have to learn them."

"Right," Vance said. He turned to Sumner. "Can you unlock the door to MTAC?"

"Yes, sir," Sumner said.

"Alright," Vance said. He turned back to Tony. "Go get my building back. And try not to kill the suspect."

"Yes, sir," Tony said. He nodded at Sumner then turned and jogged up the ramp to the door.

The soft snick of the door lock disengaging was barely audible in the sealed room. Tony pulled the door open, crouched down and stepped outside, allowing the door to fall shut behind him. He could hear the perp shouting below him, but as he edged up to the railing, he couldn't see the guy. 

He could, however, see Gibbs, crouched down at the bottom of the main staircase, gun drawn, watching their suspect closely, no doubt looking for an opening. Tony caught his eye and signed a question.

_How many shots fired?_

_Five_ , Gibbs signed back. 

Which meant he still had seven shots left. Not good. With the way this idiot was waving the gun around, Tony wouldn't be at all surprised if the gun went off and injured someone. Or killed someone.

Tony took a deep breath, glancing behind him at the door to the south stairs. He looked down at Gibbs and signed his intention to head down the stairs and sneak up on their perp from behind. Hopefully Gibbs could keep the guy's attention long enough for Tony to get in position.

Tony quietly made his way to the stairs and slipped through the door. He sped down the stairs as quickly as he thought he could get away with and not make any loud noises. Reaching for the door handle, he paused as thoughts of Tali, Meg and Luke flitted through his mind. He shoved them aside and refocused on what he had to do. He couldn't be worried about his family if he wanted to survive this.

Very slowly, Tony pulled the door to the stairwell open, poking his head out briefly to get a look at where the perp was. Thankfully, Tony was directly behind the man, and there was a partition wall between them.

Gibbs must have seen him moving around behind the suspect, because he stood up and started talking to the man.

"You step back!" their suspect shouted. "I don't want to shoot you, but I will, I swear!"

"Come on, then," Gibbs said, and Tony wished for just a second that Gibbs hadn't just invited the guy to shoot him. "I'm right here. Look, I'll even put my gun away."

Tony didn't want to shoot the guy if he didn't have to. Gibbs was edging closer, so Tony tucked his gun back into its holster and started moving closer to the suspect from behind. 

"Stop!" the guy shouted, freezing Gibbs momentarily. "Don't come any closer. I'll kill you!"

"So, kill me," Gibbs said. 

The suspect just stood and stared at Gibbs, as if there wasn't any logic behind that statement. There wasn't, really, but Tony would lecture Gibbs about that later.

The suspect lowered the gun just enough that Gibbs was no longer in its direct line of sight, and Tony made his move. He ran across the office, tackling the suspect to the floor with a tight grip on the man's gun hand. Gibbs crossed to join him, moving faster than a man his age had any right to. Between them, they subdued a still-squirming suspect, Gibbs slapping the handcuffs on as the man shouted at the top of his lungs.

Tony was seriously tempted to punch the guy into unconsciousness, but he held back. Instead, he helped Gibbs drag the guy to his feet and hand him off to a waiting agent to be taken to holding to cool off.

"Helluva chance you took," Gibbs said.

"Like you were taking any less of a chance standing there, inviting the guy to shoot you," Tony said, shaking his head. "Any idea where he got a gun?"

"Took it off a Probie in interrogation," Gibbs said. He tipped his head, and Tony followed, seeing a young agent looking absolutely mortified and sporting a spectacular shiner.

"So, it seems like we need to have a round of training on proper procedure for interrogating suspects," Tony said with a frown.

"Seems like," Gibbs said.

"You got this?" Tony asked.

"Yeah," Gibbs said. "Go."

Tony nodded, then made his way across the room to the main staircase. He took the stairs two at a time, and met Vance at the top.

"One really stupid suspect in custody," he told his boss. "Apparently, someone took a gun into interrogation. Our perp must have taken it off the agent."

"Anyone hurt?" Vance asked.

"Not so far as I can see," Tony said. "Apart from the pride and possibly the reputation of the Probie."

"Good," Vance said. "Now, write up your report and head home. I'd imagine after a day like today, you'd be anxious to see your daughter."

Tony thought back to Tali and how she'd looked this morning as she headed off to preschool, her pigtails swinging behind her as she'd practically run out the door to the car so Meg could drop her off. Right about then, his arms ached to hold her.

"Thanks, Leon," he said. "I'll do that."

~o~

"What exactly is that, Tali-girl?"

"Daddy," Tali said, somewhat exasperated. "It's Rapunzel's tower."

"Okay," Tony said, elongating the 'o'.

Gibbs snorted. Tony turned and raised an eyebrow as he watched Gibbs diligently adding Legos to his…

"And what are you making?" he asked Gibbs.

Gibbs held it up, turning it this way and that. "It's a boat."

"It's a really fast boat," Tali said. "Right, Uncle Jet?"

"Absolutely," Gibbs said, winking at Tali. "And that's a really grand tower you've got there."

"Yep," Tali said with a big grin.

Tony just chuckled and leaned back into the couch, taking a sip of his beer. Gibbs was on the floor with Tali, both of them up to their elbows in Legos, snapping bricks together methodically as the pile on the table dwindled. 

Meg swept into the room, smiling at the scene before her. She bent over Tali and praised her building skills as Tali showed her the tower she was building.

"Okay, sweetheart," Meg said, straightening back up. "Time to get you ready for bed. Give your Dad and Uncle Jethro a kiss goodnight."

Tali frowned. "Nobody better touch my tower."

Gibbs laughed outright as he pulled Tali to him. She gave him a big smack on the cheek. "Goodnight, Uncle Jet. It was fun building stuff with you tonight."

"Yes, it was," Gibbs said, smiling. He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Goodnight, sweetie. Sleep well."

Tali bounced over to Tony and climbed up onto his lap. She took his face between her hands and delivered a lip-smacking kiss. Tony grinned as he pulled her in and gave her a tight squeeze.

"I'll be up in a little while to tuck you in," Tony told her when she pulled back.

"Okay," Tali said. She climbed down off his lap and went to Meg. 

"Come on, sweetie," Meg said. 

She took Tali's hand as they walked out of the den, Tali chattering the whole way. Tali turned at the door and waved to both men. Tony waved back, grinning helplessly. He hadn't thought it was possible to love anyone the way he loved his daughter, but here she was, the center of his whole world and he couldn't be happier.

Gibbs dropped down onto the couch beside him, his own beer in hand. "She's a great kid."

"That she is," Tony said.

"You doing okay?"

"Yeah," Tony said, slightly surprised. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You tell me."

Tony let his head fall back to the couch cushions. "All I could think about as I was coming down the stairs today was that this guy might get off a lucky shot and I'd never see Tali or Meg or Luke again. I never used to have that problem, you know. Never used to think about the consequences beyond whether or not we stopped the perp from committing more crimes."

"You have more at stake now," Gibbs said. "More reasons to come home."

"Yeah, I do," Tony said. "Which is part of the reason why I took Vance up on the SAC position. I can't keep putting myself at risk. Tali doesn't deserve to be abandoned by both her parents."

"Like you were?" 

"One parent dead and one parent absent," Tony said. "What does it say about my life that history seems to be repeating itself with my daughter?"

"You don't think Ziva's dead," Gibbs said quietly.

Tony let out a deep breath. "No, I don't. I met with Orli Elbaz when we visited Israel. Before Paris. There was no body, Gibbs. At least, nothing they could identify as a body. And even though it was the middle of the night, Tali survived without a scratch on her. I called Orli on it. She wouldn’t confirm my suspicions, but I guess I can understand that. She's protecting Ziva, and by extension Tali and me."

"She still walked away rather than deal with whatever it was," Gibbs said.

"Yeah," Tony said. 

He was still angry with her, but with each passing day the anger was less intense. He wouldn't welcome her back with open arms if she ever resurfaced, but he could let go of the anger and move on with his life.

"And now you have Luke."

"And now I have Luke," Tony said by way of agreement.

"How's that going?" Gibbs asked.

"Well, I think," Tony said. "It's still early days, but we've been talking and texting. It's been… nice. He's a good guy. Invited us to visit at some point."

"You gonna go?"

Tony sighed. "Probably?"

Gibbs snorted. "You sure about that?"

"Yeah, we'll go visit," Tony said, chuckling. "Don't know when, but at some point I'm gonna have to face the music and see Francesca again. And hope that her father has forgiven me."

"He's her father," Gibbs asked. "Besides, you weren't the only one she dated."

"Don't remind me," Tony said. "But on the up side, at least Harm's a good friend now. Hopefully the Admiral is willing to overlook my somewhat checkered past."

"He's a good man," Gibbs said. "And you're family now. That counts."

"Yeah, it does," Tony said. "I should get upstairs and tuck Tali in."

Gibbs drained his beer and set the bottle on the side table as he got up. Tony stood too, and was promptly pulling into a fierce hug. 

"You have a beautiful daughter and a good life," Gibbs whispered. "Don't forget that."

"Thanks, Gibbs," Tony said, choking up just a little.

Gibbs just nodded, then turned and headed for the front door. Tony followed him out and locked up behind him. He shook his head as he thought about how Gibbs had just followed him home and swept both his ladies off their feet. Meg simply adored the man, and to Tali, Uncle Jet walked on water. For Tony, having someone who knew when he'd had a bad day and needed a shoulder to lean on was a priceless gift.

He headed upstairs and tucked Tali in for the night, then wished Meg a goodnight as he headed for his own room. His phone rang in his pocket, surprising him. He wasn't expecting anyone to call, but he hadn't heard from Bishop, so he figured it was probably her.

A quick glance at the phone screen confirmed his suspicion. He swiped the phone to answer.

"Hey, Bishop."

"Tony," Bishop said. "I'm not disturbing you, am I?"

"No," Tony said. He stretched out on his bed, leaning against the headboard. "Gibbs just left, and I've already tucked Tali in for the night. I was just going to watch tv for a bit before I head for bed."

"Had a hard day?" she asked, and he could almost hear the raised eyebrow.

"Who told?" Tony asked with a sigh.

"Torres texted me," Bishop said. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay," he said. "Not even a scratch on me. And one more idiot off the streets."

"Thank god for small favors," she said.

"So, how are things up in New York?"

"We've pretty much wrapped up the investigation," she said.

"That was fast," Tony said. "What did you find?"

"Harvey's going to reach out to the DA," Bishop said. "Turns out your father was using your mom's trust to bribe several people. I'll give you the details when I get back, but it was pretty extensive."

"Great," Tony said. "So, he's not just a conman, he's a soon-to-be felon. Anything else I should know about?"

"We were never able to find adoption papers," she said. "One of the people he bribed was with the registrar's office. No idea why they never went through the process, or why your mother even agreed to that."

"Guess that means I should be preparing to give the trust back," Tony said. He hadn't spent a lot of the money, but he could see Crispin demanding he pay back every last cent out of spite.

"Actually, no," Bishop said. "Harvey talked to your cousin. Essentially, he's fine with you keeping the money. Said it's what his grandfather would have wanted."

"Has anyone checked the basement for pods?" Tony asked, completely flummoxed. "That's so out of character for him that I can't even properly articulate it."

"According to Harvey, you were Claire Paddington's son, even if she wasn't your biological mother, and even if the adoption was never complete," Bishop said. "You were, at a minimum, her step-son, and the rules of the trust allow for a stepchild to inherit. Plus, as I said before, the trust appointed you successor trustee by name, not relationship."

"Wow," Tony said. A weight lifted from his shoulders. Not that he wanted the money, but it felt good to have it settled. "Anything else?"

"There was one other thing, but I'd rather talk to you about it in person," she said.

"That doesn't sound at all ominous," Tony said. "When are you coming back?"

"I should be leaving tomorrow," Bishop said. "I've got a few things to wrap up tomorrow morning, and then I'll head out."

"If you think you'll be up for it, come by for dinner tomorrow night," Tony said. "We can chat after Tali goes to bed."

"Sounds good to me," Bishop said. "I haven't met Tali or Meg yet, so I’m looking forward to it."

"Then it's a date," Tony said. "Have a safe trip back."

"Thanks, Tony," she said. "And for what it's worth, I'm sorry."

"Not your fault," Tony said. "But thanks anyway. See you tomorrow."

He hung up the phone and leaned his head back, pressing his eyes closed to stave off the tears he could feel gathering. Believing his father to be a conman was one thing; having it proved was something else. And if the DA decided to press charges, Tali would lose yet one more person in her life. 

He wished he could get angry about it, but after everything his father had done, he was beyond being angry. He was just sad, and not even very upset at that. He just didn't have it in him to care anymore, and that might be the worst part of the whole thing.

~o~

Tony grabbed two glasses from the counter, and the bottle of red he'd picked out, and made his way to the den. Bishop—Ellie—had shown up for dinner and swept Tali off her feet. They'd talked about Disney Princesses and favorite TV shows, and—of all things—how Tony Stark was their favorite Avenger. Tony had been utterly charmed by the interactions between the two.

Meg had taken Tali off to bed, which left he and Ellie to finish their conversation from the night before. Tony wasn't sure he really wanted to know what else she'd found while working with Harvey and Mike, but he also knew he was better off knowing.

He walked into the den and set the wine and glasses on a side table. He poked at his phone until he found a song he liked, then hesitated a moment. Playing music made it seem more like a date than two colleagues talking about an open investigation, even if he was only peripherally involved in the investigation as the victim.

Shrugging his shoulders, he pressed play and set the phone to play through the speakers in the room. Ellie walked into the room and smiled.

"Miles Davis. Nice."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "And you know this how?"

"I had a friend in college who was really into him," she said, shrugging. "Whenever we studied for a test together, she'd play his music."

"Well, your friend has good taste," Tony said. 

He poured the wine and handed Ellie a glass. They settled on the couch and sipped at the wine, enjoying the music for a few moments. Finally, Tony couldn't take it any longer.

"Whatever it is you have to tell me, just spill it," he said. "I'd rather know than not."

"Okay," Ellie said, sighing. "So, I already told you that your father bribed a whole bunch of people, including the registrar for your birth certificate. He also apparently bribed one of the accountants handling your mother's trust. We figure that's how he got his hands on the money he used to pay off Luke's mother."

"Well, that makes sense," Tony said. "My father's never been the strong-arm type. Bribery is definitely well within his wheelhouse."

"We found out that he also must have bribed someone in the probate court," Ellie said.

Tony frowned. "What for?"

"He found out that his grandfather had created a trust for you, with your mother as trustee," she said quietly. "Apparently, he didn't trust your father not to spend the whole thing before you inherited it."

"Given his track record, I'm inclined to agree," Tony said. 

"It gets worse," Ellie said. "The rules of the trust specified that, should your mother die before your 30th birthday, management of the trust would go to one of your uncles. And because the trust was set up through an Italian bank, your father had no access or contacts he could exploit. So, he bribed the probate clerk to keep the trust out of your mother's estate."

"Jesus," Tony said. He ran a hand over his face. "How much are we talking about here?"

"Fifteen million," Ellie said. "Give or take."

"Fuck," Tony said. He leaned back into the couch, staring up at the ceiling. "Just when I think he can't sink any lower, he goes and proves me wrong."

Ellie reached out and ran a hand through his hair. "Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not," Tony said. "Why would he do that?"

"Harvey says he thinks your father resented that his family gave you money when they wouldn't give him any," she said.

"So, he decides to take away what they gave me as, what… punishment?" Tony asked. "For what? It's not like I asked his family to give me any money."

"Some people are just broken," Ellie said. "And no matter what we do, there's no fixing them."

"I didn't even know my great-grandfather," Tony said, as if that mattered at all. "Why would he leave me so much money?"

"Well, the account manager for the DiNozzo Family Trust is coming here, so you can ask him yourself."

"Do they know about Luke?" Tony asked, glancing over at Ellie.

"They know," she said. "Harvey told them why we were reaching out. They were going to look at the rules of the trust and determine whether Luke should be considered a co-beneficiary."

"Well, at least that's something," Tony said. "So, is my father going to jail over this?"

"I don't know," Ellie said. "The statute of limitations on the bribery charges has run, but Mike thinks a case could be made that the bribery of a public official so he could embezzle your trust fund means the conspiracy was ongoing. That would stop the clock on the statute of limitations, but I think that's a longshot."

"So, probably not," Tony said. "I don't know if that makes me feel better or not."

"I'm not sure it serves a purpose to put your father in jail, considering how long ago the crimes were committed," Ellie said. "But considering that your father is a… friend, it's probably a good thing it's not up to me."

"Thanks for doing this for me, Ellie," Tony said. He sat up and turned to look at her. "I mean it. I'm not sure I'd want anyone else to know what you know about this whole situation. It means a lot to me that you'd take this on, despite how much you like my father."

"I'm glad we were able to get some answers for you," Ellie said. She reached out and took his hand, squeezing gently. "Even if they weren't the answers you wanted."

"I'll cope," Tony said. "It's what I always do."

"Well, until the DiNozzo account manager comes, maybe you should just put it all out of your mind," Ellie said. "There's nothing you can do anyway."

"Yeah, easier said than done," Tony said. 

"Put on a movie, put up your feet and enjoy some of that wine you poured," Ellie said, pointing at him. "Doctor's orders."

"You a doctor now?" Tony asked, a grin tugging at his lips.

"I could call one if you need me to," Ellie said. "I'm sure Jimmy's still awake."

"Not necessary," Tony said, raising his hands in surrender. "But thanks. Want to join me?"

"Sure," Ellie said. "As long as my boss doesn't mind me being late to work tomorrow."

"I hear he's a real hard-ass," Tony said with a wink. "But his boss is a total softie, so I'm sure he'll be fine with it."

Ellie shoved at Tony, knocking him over. They both laughed until there were tears in their eyes. Tony finally recovered enough to wipe his eyes and take a healthy drink of the wine. He grabbed the remote and queued up one of his favorite movies.

"You game?" he asked her. "I'll even let you come in late tomorrow."

"Sure," she said. "I mean, who could pass up watching a classic movie with a movie buff like you."

Ellie leaned back into the couch cushions, and Tony settled in beside her. He dropped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close as he pressed play on the remote. The Philadelphia Story was one of his favorite movies and sharing it with a friend was a good way to end a lousy evening.

~o~


	7. Chapter 7

~o~

Two days later, Tony was sitting in his office waiting for the DiNozzo family banker to arrive. He'd been quite surprised to find that the man was more than willing to come to the US just to have a conversation about the trust, but he probably shouldn't have been. Old World banking practices were different in some ways from the way things were done in the US.

It didn't hurt at all that the DiNozzo family was wealthy in that ridiculous way that meant they could buy Vermont and move it to Florida on a whim. Tony had grown up around wealth, but even still, he had no experience with this level of wealth.

He'd spent his morning going over case reports and drinking way too much coffee in an attempt to distract himself. It hadn’t worked.

A knock on his door startled him. He huffed; the only person who ever entered without knocking was Gibbs, but he was out on a case. Donna opened the door and walked in, a tall, slim man with greying hair and a finely tailored suit followed her in.

"Special Agent in Charge Anthony DiNozzo, meet Carlo Dupresti with Banco d'Italia," she said.

Tony stood up and reached across the desk to shake the man's hand. "Welcome, Signore Dupresti."

"I thank you, Special Agent DiNozzo," Dupresti said, pronouncing Tony's last name the Italian way.

"Would you like something to drink?" Tony asked. "Some coffee, perhaps?"

"That would be lovely," Dupresti said. He settled into the guest chair in front of Tony's desk and crossed his leg. "I am sure you would like to get to the point, as you Americans say, but may I first offer my apologies. I was not made aware of the status of your inheritance until recently. My office is investigating why that is the case, and we will make that report available to you should you wish it."

"Thank you, Signore Dupresti," Tony said. "I'm less concerned with how this happened than I am about the disposition of the accounts. I was recently made aware of a younger brother, which changes the landscape with respect to any bequests made to me. I wouldn't want my brother to be left out of any inheritance I'm eligible for, simply because my father refused to acknowledge the fact that he had a second son."

"Rest assured, Special Agent DiNozzo," Dupresti said. "It is my firm desire to see both you and your brother receive your rightful inheritance. To that end, I have been in contact with the DiNozzo family attorney. He has authorized me to include your brother in the trust your great-grandfather created for you."

"That's reassuring," Tony said.

Donna entered then with a steaming cup of coffee for their guest. Dupresti took a sip, his eyes closing as he hummed his approval. "Molto grazie, my dear. This is indeed a fine cup of coffee."

"You're welcome, Signore Dupresti," Donna said. She was blushing faintly as she headed back to her desk.

"Now," Dupresti said, setting the cup on Tony's desk as he reached for his briefcase. "According to the language of the trust, the beneficiaries would be any natural-born children of Anthony DiNozzo. Am I correct in assuming that you have proof that Luke Sundstrom is Anthony DiNozzo's son?"

"Yes, he has both of our original birth certificates," Tony said. "And I had my lab run a DNA test to be sure. The mitochondrial DNA is a match; if I were to testify in court, I'd be able to say without doubt that we're brothers."

"Good, good," Dupresti said. "The lawyers will, of course, wish to see this proof, but it will in no way be a hindrance to getting the trust turned over to you and your brother."

He handed over some paperwork, and the two men spent several minutes discussing the details of the trust and what would be needed for Tony and Luke to take possession. 

"Can you tell me why my great-grandfather left me such a large trust fund?" Tony asked. "I never met him, so to say I'm surprised is something of an understatement."

Dupresti leaned back and sipped at his coffee, even though it had probably gone cold. "Your great-grandfather—Vecchio DiNozzo as he was known—saw what kind of man your father would become before most of the rest of the family. He adored your mother, however, and saw in her a moderating influence. Unfortunately, your father rarely took her advice to heart. So, when your parents had you, he decided that he would set up the trust, to give you—and any siblings you might have—a way to strike out on your own. With resources, you wouldn't be beholden to your father and might therefore turn out to be a different kind of man than he became. I am pleased to see that he was right, even though you did it without the resources you were entitled to."

"My mother's family set up an educational trust for me," Tony said. "But I was able to attend university on an athletic scholarship, so it wasn't like I needed the money."

"Vecchio DiNozzo was not unaware of this," Dupresti said. "However, he felt that it was his duty to see that you had the resources you would need to stand on your own, provided you remained a law-abiding citizen."

"And there's the rub," Tony said. "If I'd taken after my father, I wouldn't have received the trust, right?"

"That is correct," Dupresti said. "Vecchio DiNozzo did make provision in case his trust was misplaced."

"Well, I suppose it's a good thing I became a cop," Tony said. He winced internally, because he knew better than most that being a cop was no guarantee that someone walked the straight and narrow.

"I believe Vecchio DiNozzo would be very proud of the man you've become," Dupresti said with a smile.

Tony leaned back in his chair. "I had two choices growing up: I could follow in my father's footsteps, in which case I'd probably be in jail right now. Or I could find a different path. I've always known I was a disappointment to my father. I think he was hoping I'd join him in what he considered the family business."

"I do not believe that graft has ever been part of the DiNozzo portfolio," Dupresti said, sounding incredibly disdainful of the very idea.

Tony chuckled. "No, I don't suppose it is."

"It is my understanding that your brother is in the military," Dupresti said. "He does not live here in Washington, correct?"

"No, he's based in North Carolina," Tony said. "Why?"

Dupresti nodded. "If it is your intention to share this inheritance with your brother, we will need to meet with him so you can both sign the documents that will turn over the trust to you. It is, of course, a formality, as the trust is yours, regardless. Your uncle is willing to allow you limited access to the trust if you require financial assistance for any reason before this step is completed."

"I can't imagine why I'd need access to the funds before the transfer is complete, but I appreciate the offer," Tony said. "I'll have to call Luke and find out when he'll be available. Due to his job, his schedule can be erratic."

"I understand," Dupresti said. He pulled a business card out of his pocket and handed it over, along with an oversized envelope. "Please feel free to contact me for any reason. Your uncle's contact information is in this packet. He has expressed a wish to speak to you, but again, your inheritance is not contingent on this."

"Any idea why he wants to talk to me?" Tony asked.

"I believe it was his intention to congratulate you on breaking away from your father," Dupresti said with a sly grin. "Ernesto can be something of a… how do you say it? A pistol?"

Tony laughed out loud. "Sounds like someone I'd like to know."

"I am glad to hear it," Dupresti said. "Your family in Italy has mourned the loss of their relationship with you for many years. And while it is through no fault of your own that the breach with your family opened, it is my hope that you can begin to repair those relationships now."

"I—I'm a little surprised to hear that, honestly," Tony said. "I’d always thought that they'd written me off after they basically disowned my father."

"Your grandfather—your father's father—was greatly disappointed in his son," Dupresti said. "But as I said before, there was some hope that you would turn out to be a different man. I am certain they would be proud to know the man you have become."

"How is it you know so much about my family, Signore Dupresti?" Tony asked.

Dupresti had the good grace to look abashed. "My family has been the financial planners for your family for many years. My father was very close to your great-grandfather and your grandfather as well. He was considered family by the DiNozzo clan. As for me, I am married to a distant cousin of yours, and so I have actually become family."

"Ah," Tony said. "I guess that makes sense then."

"Thank you for agreeing to see me today," Dupresti said, standing up. "As I said before, should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call me."

Tony stood up and walked around the desk, holding out his hand. Dupresti took it and rested his other hand on top of their clasped hands.

"Thank you for coming all this way," Tony said.

"It was my pleasure, Young Anthony," Dupresti said. He gave Tony's hand a gentle squeeze. "Please contact me when you are ready to complete the transfer of the trust. I will be more than happy to meet you anywhere you prefer."

"I'll speak with my brother and let you know."

Dupresti nodded. He picked up his briefcase and made his way out of the office, giving Donna's hand a quick squeeze as he went. Donna walked into his office, fanning herself.

"That man is a menace," she said. "There's no way a man of his age should be that hot. Seriously."

"He did have that whole 'silver fox' thing going on," Tony said speculatively.

"You okay?" she asked.

Tony took a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm good. Better than I've been in a while."

"Good," she said. "Now, call your brother. I'm sure he's anxious to hear about your meeting."

"Yes, mother," Tony said.

Donna just winked at him and headed back to her desk.

~o~

"Hey, big brother," Luke said when he picked up the phone.

Tony laughed. As odd as it sounded, he didn't think he'd ever get tired of Luke calling him 'big brother'.

"Hey, yourself. You got a few minutes?"

"For you? Yeah," Luke said. "Let me just get somewhere more private."

"You at the base?" Tony asked.

He heard a door click closed. "Yeah, we're running through some training exercises. Just got done with a debrief on the shoot house this morning, as a matter of fact."

"Seems like I have good timing, then," Tony said.

"So, what's up?" Luke asked. "Everything okay?"

"Things are good," Tony said. "I had a meeting with a banker about the trust fund that our great-grandfather left us."

"Did we know we had a trust fund from our great-grandfather?" Luke asked.

"No, we did not," Tony said. He couldn't keep the anger out of his voice, so he didn't even try. "Seems like dear old dad was… well, my lawyer thinks he hid it from me because he was angry that his family didn't give him money. Every time I say it out loud, it just seems to sound worse."

"You weren't kidding," Luke said quietly. "He's a real piece of work."

"Yeah, that's one way of putting it," Tony said.

"Will he face any charges?" Luke asked.

"Probably not," Tony said. He sighed. "The statute of limitations has run on all his crimes, and I doubt the DA will be able to make a case that the bribes represent an ongoing conspiracy. If it were me, I wouldn't even try it. At this point, I don't think it's worth the effort."

"Have you talked to him at all?" Luke asked.

"Not for a few months," Tony said. "He's notorious for just showing up out of the blue, usually when he's low on funds, so I expect him to show up as soon as he gets wind of this latest trust fund."

"How much are we talking about here?"

"Fifteen million," Tony said. "Give or take."

"Holy shit, Tony!" Luke exclaimed. "That's a lot of money."

"It is," Tony said. "The banker will need us to sign some paperwork so I can turn over your half, but if you need anything before that, I have the contact information for my uncle, who is apparently eager to meet me."

"You know you don't have to share it with me," Luke said. "I wasn't after the money when I sought you out. I just—I wanted to know my brother."

"I know, but the trust is worded in such a way that it accounted for the possibility that my father would have more than one child," Tony said. "So, you're entitled to half. Plus, there's what's in my mother's trust fund. Apparently, her family had a clause in the trust that would release another ten million sometime after I turned forty."

"But that's your mother's money," Luke said. "I don’t really—"

"Look, I know we haven't known each other long, but we're family," Tony said. "I want to share this with you. You've got three kids to put through college, and maybe you want to buy a bigger house. Or you can save it for retirement. It doesn't matter; what matters is that you now have the freedom to make those choices."

Luke sighed. "Okay, you win. It's obvious this is important to you, so I'll give in with ill grace. As long as we're splitting everything in half, I'm good with that. Just as long as the money your father gave my mother is part of that split."

"Yeah, I can agree to that," Tony said. 

"Now, enough about money," Luke said. "When are you and Tali coming down for a visit?"

Tony glanced at the calendar on his desk. "Well, I was thinking about taking a few extra days off around the 4th of July. Would that work?"

"That'd be great, actually," Luke said. "The Team is planning a barbeque, so it'd be a good time for you to meet everyone. We could even head over to Myrtle Beach for a day or two if you'd like."

"That actually sounds really great," Tony said. He was admittedly nervous about meeting Luke's team, not because he was intimidated by the SEALs, but because they were the men closest to his brother, and he didn't want to make a bad impression.

"Good," Luke said. "I'll let Chessa know. Just send me your flight information when you have it. I'll pick you up at the airport."

"Would it be okay if I brought someone along?" Tony asked. "I mean, besides Tali."

"Oooh, got a girlfriend you've been hiding from me?"

Tony chuckled. "No, nothing like that. Her name's Meg, and she's my… well, she's my daughter's nanny, but she's also a dear friend of mine. She was married to my training officer, back when I first joined the PD in Peoria."

"Of course," Luke said. "Please bring her. We'd love to meet her."

"I should probably get a hotel," Tony said, thinking out loud. "I'd imagine your house isn't big enough for all three of us to invade for a week."

"Actually, let me check with the Admiral, see if he minds putting you up while you're down here," Luke said. "He doesn't live too far from us, and he's got the room. His house is actually bigger than ours."

"Are you sure he won't mind?" Tony asked. "I wouldn't want to impose. I mean—"

"Hey, family, remember?" Luke said. "AJ isn't so much of a hardass that he'd deny you a place to stay in favor of sending you to a hotel."

"Yeah, okay," Tony said. "For the record, this is me giving in less than graciously. Just so you know."

"Under protest," Luke said, chuckling. "Got it."

"Listen, I've got to get back to work," Tony said. "But we'll talk more this weekend, yeah?"

"Absolutely," Luke said. "It was good to hear from you."

"I'm glad I called," Tony said. "I'll talk to you soon."

~o~

"So, how are things going with you and Luke?" Meg asked later that evening.

They were doing the dishes after a fantastic roast chicken dinner that had even made Tali clean her plate. It was a true compliment since the girl had become completely Americanized and was now all about the peanut butter and Cheerios.

"Things are good," Tony said. "I was talking to him earlier today about the trust funds. We're going to consolidate the funds and then split them 50/50. Not that Luke was all that interested in the money, but I think it's only fair, considering."

"For a man like him, someone who works for a living, I'm sure the prospect of millions of dollars is daunting," Meg said. "You'll have to put him in touch with your financial planner. Possibly even get him a lawyer. People have a way of sniffing out money, especially when the person with the deep pockets doesn't know what to do with that much money."

"Good point," Tony said. "I'll make a call to Harvey in the morning. I'm not sure he'd be willing to take Luke on as a client, but I'll bet Mike would. It'd be good practice for him, having a high net-worth client of his own to manage."

"How's his family taking this whole thing?" Meg asked. "I'd imagine it's just as much a shock for them as it was for you."

"His wife was apparently the one to encourage him to seek me out," Tony said. "I went out with her a couple of times, back in the day. She's a sweetheart; Luke definitely married well. He hasn't said how Admiral Chegwidden feels about the whole thing, but he apparently offered to put us up when we visit, so I'm guessing he's not upset."

"Well, that's something, at least," Meg said. "You've always spoken highly of him, so I'd hope he'd be accepting. When are you going to visit?"

"Fourth of July weekend," Tony said. "I'm going to take a few extra days and spend some time down there. You're welcome to come with. I asked Luke and he was fine with it."

"I don't want to intrude, dear," Meg said. "I'm sure I'll find something to keep me busy. Besides, wouldn't you rather take someone else? Ellie, perhaps."

Tony choked a little. "Ellie's a friend, sure, but I'm not sure… why would you think I should take her instead of you?"

"Because clearly you're sweet on the girl," Meg said, as if he was being purposely obtuse. "You seem to light up whenever you talk about her. And don't think I missed the part where you two were cuddled up on the couch in the den watching a movie."

Tony paused with the dish in his hand, towel dangling from his fingers. He hadn't really thought about it, but he did like Ellie. She was intelligent, kind, loved food and tended to be like a dog on a bone when presented with a mystery. He always looked forward to their talks, but he wouldn't have characterized any of that as being sweet on her.

Shrugging, he finished drying the dish in his hand and set it aside. "Not sure I see what you're seeing, but okay. I still want you to come with me and Tali. You're a part of my family and I'd like to introduce you to everyone."

"Alright, if you're sure," Meg said. "And don't think we're finished talking about Ellie. You're not getting off the hook that easily."

"Can I ask why you're being so insistent?" Tony asked with one raised eyebrow.

Meg huffed, turning to face him with soapy hands. "You've been back in the States for six months now, and you have yet to go on a single date. And how long had it been before that? You don't talk about Tali's mum, but I get the impression you weren't together in the traditional sense, even before she disappeared. You need a social life, young man, and hanging out with your former boss does not count as a social life. The man barely speaks, and when he does, it's normally two or three word sentences. Not a sparkling conversationalist, that one."

"You're dripping on the floor, Meg," Tony said, chuckling at her outraged expression.

"And you're avoiding the subject," she said as she turned and washed the last dish in the sink.

Tony sighed. "I'm not avoiding it, per say. I just… I used to date, but it was all so vapid and self-serving. One or two dates, at most, and then I'd move on to someone else. I dated a woman ten years ago as part of an undercover operation. By the time it ended, I'd actually started feeling something for her. But it wasn't real, because she wasn't dating the real me, just an undercover identity that I'd created. I think at that point I realized that I was dating just so I wouldn't have to be alone. And if that's the only reason, what's the point?"

"Sweetie," Meg said. She dried her hands and reached out, taking his and squeezing it. "I know how terrible it was for you after Wendy, but there's nothing wrong with not wanting to be alone. But if you're dating someone and still feeling alone, that's a different thing altogether."

"I'm not sure I trusted myself, after Wendy," Tony said. It pained him to admit it, but since Tali came into his life, he'd tried to be more self-aware so he could set a good example for his daughter. "It was just easier to keep it casual."

"Because you wouldn't have to risk being hurt," Meg said. "You and Gibbs. Cut from the same cloth, I swear."

"Hey, he had good reason to protect himself," Tony said.

"I know he did," Meg said softly. "And you did too. Betrayal cuts deeply, no matter who you are. But closing yourself off is no solution. Just look at Gibbs. He's… content with his life, but it could be so much richer if he'd only allow himself to feel again. Bring the color back into his world."

"Okay, I'm going to ask you something, and I don't want you to take my head off," Tony said. Meg only raised an eyebrow, so he plowed on. "Are you interested in Gibbs?"

Meg got a shrewd look on her face. "Deflection has always been one of your superpowers. Alright. Yes, I find Gibbs attractive. He's a good man who got dealt a bad hand. But until he decides that it's alright for him to live again, he's not going to respond to any serious interest from anyone, me included, and ex-wives notwithstanding."

"I'm not sure how I feel about you and my former boss hooking up," Tony said, scrunching up his nose.

"Thankfully, I don't need your permission," Meg said. She winked at him. "And I'm not sure you really want to know about his dating life, either."

"God no," Tony said. "With three ex-wives and an ex-girlfriend, I know far more than I ever wanted to about his personal life."

"Now, do me a favor, will you?" she asked.

Tony raised an eyebrow. "And what's that?"

"Promise me you'll think about what else you want from life, now that you've settled in with Tali," Meg said. "And I mean really think about it. You're content, but is that really enough? Or do you want more than just being content?"

"Okay, I'll think about it," Tony said, letting out a sigh. "As long as you promise to keep any details of your love life to yourself. I do not need those images cluttering up my brain."

"Deal," Meg said. 

She held out her hand. Tony looked at it for a moment before reaching out and shaking it. She tugged a little, bringing him closer and dropping a kiss on his cheek.

"I love you, sweet boy," she said. "And I just want you to be happy, whatever that looks like."

"Thank you, Meg," Tony said, smiling at her when she pulled back. "And I love you too, even if you are an old busybody."

"Who's old?" Meg asked. She tossed a wink at him as she headed out of the kitchen. "I'm well-seasoned, is all."

Tony's laughter followed her out of the room.

~o~


	8. Chapter 8

~o~

Tony, Meg and Tali stepped off the escalator and headed for the baggage carousel, Tali chattering a mile a minute about the plane and the nice flight attendants and anything else she could. She'd been so well-behaved that the flight crew had complimented him multiple times, including on the way out of the plane after they'd landed.

Tony had thanked each and every one of them, and so had Tali, much to everyone's amusement. His daughter had definitely inherited her charm from her father.

Glancing around, Tony spotted the carousel they'd been informed would have their luggage once it was offloaded from the plane.

"Meg, you and Tali wait here," he said as they stopped at an empty spot a little way away from the crowd gathering around the carousel. "I'll grab the bags and come to you. Not sure how Luke's gonna find us in all this chaos, but we'll figure it out."

"Not to worry, Tony," Meg said, patting his hand. "Tali and I will just people-watch. Maybe try to guess where everyone's going."

Tony just chuckled, because he well-knew just how creative those two could be when they got going. It was an old game for he and Tali, but somehow Meg had taken it to a new level. He headed over to the carousel and watched as bags started appearing.

He spotted his suitcase right away. It was black, like a good many of the ones coming off the plane, but Meg had tied a bright red ribbon on the handle so he could find it easily among the sea of black bags. Tali's was next, easy to spot because she'd chosen a bright pink suitcase. Tony hadn't objected because it made finding her suitcase—small though it was—a good deal easier.

That left Meg's bag, another black suitcase with a red ribbon. He waited patiently as bag after bag rolled by. He felt more than saw someone come up beside him, but he figured it was someone else looking for their bag, just like him.

"You need any help finding what you're looking for?"

Tony turned, seeing Luke standing beside him in a t-shirt and jeans. "Hey! You found us."

"Sure did," Luke said. "I spotted what I assume to be your daughter with her nanny, so I knew you had to be around here somewhere."

"Just waiting on Meg's suitcase," Tony said. 

He paused for a bit, but before he could think about whether a handshake or a hug was appropriate, Luke was hauling him in for a big bear hug.

"It is so good to have you here," Luke said quietly, so only Tony could hear. "I wasn't sure you'd actually come."

Tony pulled back, frowning. "Why wouldn't I? I'm looking forward to meeting your kids and seeing Francesca again. Maybe even looking forward to seeing the Admiral. You're sure he won't mind us invading his house for the week?"

"He's good with it," Luke said. "He likes you, thinks you're a good guy. Told me so himself, so I don’t think you have anything to worry about. Now, do you see Meg's bag, or do we have a situation on our hands?"

Tony glanced around, spotting a shock of red going around the corner. "I think we actually just missed it."

"Good," Luke said. "Chessa is really anxious to see you again. She's putting together some lunch for us, so once we get you settled in at the Admiral's house, we can head over to mine for some food. Maybe a nap for Tali if she needs it."

"Sounds good to me," Tony said. 

Meg's suitcase came back around the corner; Tony grabbed the handle and hoisted it off the carousel.

"That everything?" Luke asked.

"Yep," Tony said. "Let's go. You can meet Meg and Tali before we leave. Where are you parked?"

"Just across the way," Luke said as he followed Tony back to where he'd left Meg and Tali. "I've got a spare booster seat for Tali in the car. Figured you wouldn't want to lug yours around."

"Thanks," Tony said. "We decided to leave it at home, because you're right, it's a pain in the ass to carry on, and I don’t relish checking it and having it go missing."

They approached his girls, and Tony smiled. Tali was practically bouncing up and down with excitement. She was definitely going to crash later.

"Luke, this is Meg Donovan, a dear friend of mine," Tony said.

Luke reached out and shook her hand. "Ma'am, it's good to finally meet you."

"Oh, my," Meg said with a smile. "Such a polite young man. It's a pleasure to meet you as well. Tony's told me so much about you. I'm looking forward to meeting the rest of your family."

"And this little spitfire is Tali," Tony said. "Tali, this is Daddy's younger brother. Your Uncle Luke."

Tali, uncharacteristically, went silent. She sidled up to Tony, wrapping a hand around his leg as she smiled shyly at Luke.

"Hi, Tali," Luke said. He crouched down so he could look her in the eye. "Your Dad's told me a lot about you. I have a daughter just about your age at home. She's looking forward to meeting you."

Tali's smile got a little bigger. "Really? She's my cousin, right?"

"Yep," Luke said, smiling. "And I have two boys who are also your cousins; one's a bit older than you, and the other one's eight."

"Do they like soccer?" she asked.

Luke looked up at Tony, who was smiling at the interaction between the two. "Her school has been teaching them to play. She's obsessed."

"Well, it just so happens that all three of my kids play soccer," Luke said. "So maybe you guys can play a game in the backyard. We have a goal set up so they can practice."

"That's so cool," Tali said, some of her animation coming back. She looked up to Tony, a big smile on her face. "I can play soccer with them, right?"

"Of course, Tali-girl," Tony said, smiling right back. "You can show them what you've learned."

"Seems like that's settled," Meg said. "Now, how about we get moving? I don't know about anyone else, but I'm quite done with the airport for now. Perhaps some lunch is in order?"

Luke stood up. "My wife's pulling lunch together. We'll get you settled in at the Admiral's house and then you can come over and meet everyone."

With Luke's help, Tony ushered them all out of the baggage claim area and across the street to the parking garage. Luke was driving a large SUV, and just as he'd promised, there was a booster seat in the back for Tali. They loaded the luggage into the back and then Meg got Tali secured while Tony settled into the front passenger seat.

The drive was mercifully short; Tony was done being in cramped quarters for a while. He was looking forward to stretching his legs, maybe even going for a run at some point during the week, if he could find the time.

They pulled up in front of a beautiful two-story home on a tree-lined street in Fayetteville. Tony and Luke got the luggage out of the back of the SUV while Meg and Tali made their way up the front walk. Before any of them could knock, the door swung open, revealing AJ Chegwidden.

"Special Agent DiNozzo," he said, nodding at Tony. "Come on in."

Tony nodded back and followed the family into the house. It was as nice inside as it had been outside. There was a large living room on one side and a dining room on the other, with a sweeping staircase in the middle. Tony was impressed.

"Sir," Tony said, reaching out to shake the other man's hand. "It's good to see you again. Thanks for letting us stay with you."

The Admiral shook his hand, a smile teasing at his mouth. "I think at this point, you should probably call me AJ. And it's no trouble at all. This house is actually far too big for me, but my daughter and the kids stay with me when Luke deploys, so it works out well."

"It's nice that you're so close," Tony said. "And if I'm going to be calling you AJ, you should call me Tony."

"Tony," AJ said. He glanced over to where Meg and Tali stood with Luke.

"My daughter, Tali," Tony said, waving her over. She joined him, again wrapping a hand around his leg as she looked up at AJ. "Tali, this is—"

AJ crouched down, much as Luke had. "I'm Grandpa C, sweetie. It's nice to finally meet you."

"Hello, Grandpa C," Tali said quietly. "Are you my grandpa? I have one already. Is it okay to have two?"

Tony's heart constricted. He hadn't even considered how confusing this would all be for her, but before he could answer, AJ was reassuring his daughter.

"Of course, you can have more than one. Matter of fact, I think you can't have too many grandmas and grandpas. That just means more people to spoil you."

"With chocolate?" Tali asked, her eyes lighting up.

AJ glanced up at him, a wicked smile on his face. "Especially with chocolate." He stood up and extended his hand to Meg. "And you must be the famous Meg Donovan. It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am."

"Well, aren't you the charmer," Meg said with a huge smile as she shook his hand.

"They installed that along with the stars on my shoulders," AJ said with a straight face.

Meg laughed brightly, and Tony groaned internally. He loved the woman dearly, but ever since her husband died, she'd been an incurable flirt. Of course, Tony had been too, once upon a time. He liked to think he'd grown out of it; perhaps Meg was just enjoying the freedom to flirt without it having to lead to anything. He just wished she wasn't prone to flirting with every man over a certain age that she met.

"Come on," AJ said. "Let's get you settled in your rooms. Then we can head over to Luke and Francesca's place."

Tony smiled gratefully and followed the Admiral up the stairs. That had gone better than he'd expected, but they'd only just arrived. There was still a lot of week left.

~o~

Tony was sitting on the back deck, enjoying the peace and quiet. Luke's home was honestly beautiful. Very similar in floorplan to the Admiral's, but with a larger back yard. The kids had run around, playing soccer and tag and just generally been boisterous kids. Tony had been concerned, because Tali didn't really have experience with older kids, but she'd fit right in with her cousins. Luke had even said that there was a community pool not far away that they could take the kids to. It made Tony glad he'd insisted on swimming lessons for Tali when they were in Paris.

Now, the kids were inside resting. Tali, Olivia and Micah had crashed in a pile in Luke and Francesca's bedroom, and Jake was reading quietly in his room. 

A cold beer appeared in front of him. He grabbed it, popping the top as he glanced up to see who his benefactor was. The Admiral settled into a chair beside him, holding out his bottle. Tony clinked his bottle against the Admiral's and took a sip.

"So, you seem to have adjusted to fatherhood," AJ said, apropos of nothing.

Tony huffed a laugh. "It wasn't easy. Thankfully, Tali's a good kid, and she was three when she came into my life, which is honestly a godsend because I doubt I could have handled an infant. At the time, I could barely take care of myself."

"Kids have a way of maturing us a lot faster than we ever thought possible," AJ said. He took a sip of his beer. "So, Ziva, huh?"

"Yeah," Tony said, cringing. "Not my best judgement, I'll admit. There was always this push-pull with her. Flirting one minute and practically taking my head off the next. The thing I can't get over is that she knew I was Tali's father, and yet she never said anything."

He had no idea why he was telling the Admiral any of this. It wasn't in his nature to open up to anyone, much less someone he barely knew, but somehow he felt like he could trust AJ, that there'd be no judgement from him.

"Never try to understand the mind of a woman, son," AJ said.

"No kidding," Tony said, chuckling. "I live with one of the most complicated of her species. I stopped trying to understand her after one day living with her."

"Meg's pretty great," AJ said. "And Tali seems to adore her. I'm glad you were able to find someone to help out. It's so much easier when you don't have to tackle raising your kids alone."

"Is that why you moved down here?" Tony asked. "I mean, of course to be close to Francesca. But with Luke's job, it must be nice for her to have you to lean on when he's deployed."

"I had no idea my daughter was going to fall in love with a SEAL," AJ said, running a hand over his face. "It's not the life I'd have chosen for her, but it turns out she's got good taste in men. Luke's a good guy, and they're happy together. And if I can be there to help raise his kids, especially when he's not able to be there… Well, that's what I'm going to do. Lord knows I was absent a lot when Francesca was young. I hated that for her, but I couldn't just—operating is what I was good at, and by the time I found something else I was good at, she was almost grown."

"You did the best you could, sir," Tony said. "That's all anyone can ask. And she doesn't seem to resent you at all. You're close, and that says a lot about you."

"I thought we agreed that you'd call me AJ?"

"Sorry, s—AJ," Tony said, wincing. "Old habits."

"Right," AJ said. "So, how's Gibbs doing? Still just as much of a bastard as always?"

Tony practically choked on his beer. There'd been respect between the two men, but no love lost. It seemed odd that AJ was asking after the man, after all these years.

"Gibbs is… Gibbs," Tony said. "He's mellowed a bit, believe it or not. He's great with Tali, and she adores her Uncle Jet. But he still rides his team hard, still relentless in pursuit of the truth."

"Still viscerally allergic to authority?" AJ asked.

"Yeah," Tony said, sighing. "I wish he wasn't, because it would make my job easier, but he is as he ever will be. I could wish for five more team leads like him—well, except for the bastard routine. That I could do without."

"I heard you're the SAC for DC now," AJ said. "Good for you. I always knew there was more to you than being Gibbs' SFA."

"I'm not sure I ever did," Tony admitted. "I liked working for Gibbs, believe it or not. Yeah, he's relentless, but our team had the highest closure rate of any team in NCIS. We got shit done, and I learned a lot from him."

"Good and bad, I'm sure," AJ said. "The grapevine says you're the best SAC the DC Field Office has ever had. That's some high praise."

Tony hadn’t heard that, and he wasn't sure it was true. He was still trying to learn the job, but it was a helluva lot easier than wrangling Gibbs on a daily basis.

"Well, the job's not easy, and there are days when I wonder what I was thinking when I took it," Tony said. "But at the end of the day, I get to go home to my daughter instead of grabbing a couple of hours of sleep under my desk while I wait for evidence to be processed."

AJ snorted. "Gibbs always did like running his agents into the ground in search of the truth. I respected the results even if I disagreed with the methods."

Tony couldn't argue with that, so he didn't even try. Truth was, as SAC he spent a lot of time trying to get Gibbs to be more reasonable when pursuing an investigation. Gibbs had softened up a bit, but he could still get tunnel vision when he was on a case.

"You know, when Luke told me about the whole thing with his mother and you," AJ said quietly, "I wasn't sure what to make of it."

"If it makes you feel any better, neither did I," Tony said. "My father… well, let's just say I've always known he wasn't Father of the Year material. But this? I had no idea he was even capable of this, and maybe I should have."

"We've all got a blind spot when it comes to the people we love," AJ said. "We always want to believe the best of them, even when there's ample reason not to."

To Tony's ears, there was a story in there, but he didn't ask. Everyone had hard moments in their life, which he knew very well. He wasn't going to push, but he was curious.

"For what it's worth, I'm glad you and Luke have found each other," AJ said. "After Paul died, Luke seemed to be… adrift. And then his mother passed and he seemed to fold in on himself. He operated, and spent time with Francesca and the kids, but… it was like he was hollowed out. I'm not surprised, really. I remember what it felt like when my father died, how I felt… alone, really."

"I wasn't sure what to make of this whole thing at first," Tony said. "But the more we've talked, the more I've realized that this could be a good thing. Tali could certainly use more family. She's only had me until now, and that's been good, but she needs something more."

"So do you," AJ said. "Having more people you can count on when the chips are down is never a bad thing."

"I've never been very good at depending on other people," Tony said.

AJ snorted. "Neither have I. But having kids changes that. Suddenly, there's this little person who needs you, and you can't be everywhere at once. You learn pretty quickly that you have to lean on others or you fail, and the last thing any of us wants to do is let down our kids."

"No kidding," Tony said. "If I never see that disappointed look on her face again, I'll be happy."

"You disappoint your daughter already?" AJ asked, eyebrow raised.

"Puppy," Tony said. "Not much of a dog person. Not much of a pet person, really. Well, I had a fish for a long time."

"What happened to the fish?" AJ asked.

"She lives with McGee now," Tony said. "I couldn’t evict her from the apartment, so when I sublet it to Tim and his wife, it was with the understanding that Kate stayed. She's doing really well, though. I even get pictures every now and then."

AJ threw his head back and laughed. "I think you're going to fit in just fine around here, son."

Tony chuckled. "I'm glad you think so."

"I do," AJ said, reaching out and patting Tony on the shoulder. "You're just what we need. Just what Luke needs."

Tony didn't know what to say to that, so he just didn't say anything at all. He was certainly surprised by how accepting AJ had been of Tony's place in Luke's life, but maybe he shouldn’t have been. Their professional dealings in the past had been fraught with tension, but he'd never gotten the sense that the Admiral hadn't respected him or the work he did. It was good to know he had the man's approval now, even if he didn't especially need it.

AJ was part of Luke's family, which made him part of Tony's family now, too. Surprisingly, he was okay with that. More than okay, really, but he'd start with okay and work his way up.

~o~

"So, I saw you and AJ talking yesterday," Luke said as they took a break.

They'd been playing basketball for about an hour. Tony had been impressed with Luke's skill; either basketball was genetic, or Luke was a superior athlete whose skills could easily translate to different activities, depending on what was needed. Tony would bet on the latter.

"We had a beer and talked some," Tony said. He opened his water bottle and took a long sip. "Why, you jealous?"

Luke shoved at his shoulder, knocking Tony to the side a bit. "Nah, just curious what you two talked about."

"Oh, this and that," Tony said. It wasn't like what they'd talked about was private, but he felt weird talking about it with Luke. "Mostly we talked about having kids."

"Tali's great," Luke said, smiling. "She's smart and tough. And she seems to get along with my kids really well. I have to admit, I wasn't sure how that was going to go. Wasn't sure how accepting they'd be of suddenly having an uncle and a new cousin."

"If there's one thing I've learned about kids, it's that they're adaptable," Tony said. "They're better at rolling with the punches than most adults. Tali's been very patient with me as I figured out how to be a parent. Having Meg around helps, too. She's got two kids of her own. Both grown, both in the military."

"Seems like she's done something right, then," Luke said. "I'm not sure what we'd do if we didn't have the Admiral around. And not just to babysit on short notice. He's been a great sounding board for me. He wasn't around as much as he wanted to be when Chessa was growing up, but he was here when each of our kids was born, and he's been in the front row for every recital and talent show and game any of our kids was involved in."

"I can see that," Tony said. "AJ is the kind of man who commits one hundred percent to whatever he's doing. He was like that as JAG, and from what I know of his reputation, he was like that as a SEAL as well."

"Oh, trust me, I know all about his reputation," Luke said. "Imagine being the man's son-in-law and being a SEAL. It's a good thing I made it through BUDs before I married Chessa. I'd already built a reputation before we got married, so it wasn't so bad."

"How does Francesca deal with you being a SEAL?" Tony asked.

"She's a strong woman," Luke said. "A lot stronger than she looks. She's been a rock for me during deployments. She gets the other wives organized whenever someone's sick or injured or…"

"Or killed," Tony filled in quietly.

"Yeah," Luke said with a sigh. "It doesn't happen often, but when it does, she's been great. My CO has even remarked at how lucky I am to have her."

"Is she your emergency contact?" Tony asked. 

He wasn't sure why he was asking, but it seemed like something he should know, in case something happened while Luke was on deployment.

"No, I have AJ listed as my emergency contact," Luke said. "I don't want her hearing that news from a man in a uniform. It'd be hard enough to handle without a stranger standing in front of her."

"They wouldn’t send someone from the unit?"

"Not if we're all deployed," Luke said. "They do try to send someone we know, but it doesn't always work that way. Plus, AJ knows how this all works. I know he'd take care of her and the kids if anything should happen."

"He's a good man," Tony said. "Solid. Trustworthy. I've always thought so."

"Listen, would you mind if I listed you as an emergency contact, too?" Luke asked.

"I wouldn't mind," Tony said, surprised. "May I ask why?"

"Now that we've found each other, I want to make sure you're looped in if something happens," Luke said. "And I know you'd look after Chessa if you needed to. I just want to make sure she's taken care if. In case AJ isn't around when the call comes."

"Of course, man," Tony said. "I'm honored that you'd ask. Would you mind if I added you as an emergency contact?"

"Not at all," Luke said. "Who is it now?"

"Gibbs is my primary," Tony said. "Has been for years. He's basically been my only family since we met. I listed Meg, but I'd really rather not have her get the notification from some random cop or FBI agent."

"I understand," Luke said. "I'll be there for your family, just like I know you'll be there for mine if it comes to that."

"Thanks," Tony said. "Now, enough about this maudlin shit. We're gonna jinx ourselves if we keep talking about it. What do you say we get back to it? First one to 20 wins?"

"I have a feeling I'm gonna get my ass kicked again, but okay," Luke said.

"Hey, you never know," Tony said. They'd split a pair of games, so Tony wasn't feeling quite so smug as he might have that morning when Luke had suggested they play. "You could get lucky."

"You know, a wise man once said 'it's better to be lucky than good'," Luke said as he faced off with his brother. "Guess we're gonna find out if he was just blowing smoke."

"Winner gets to drive that sweet Mustang to Myrtle Beach tomorrow?" Tony asked. 

He'd been eying Luke's beautiful car since he'd first shown it to him. It reminded him of the car he'd lost years ago. He was itching to drive it, but didn't think Luke would give in with any kind of grace unless he pushed the issue.

"You're on," Luke said, smirking like he knew what Tony was up to.

~o~


	9. Chapter 9

~o~

Tony sat on the gurney cursing his bad luck. He'd warned Luke months ago that talking about emergency contacts and what to do if one of them didn't make it back was just asking for trouble.

Now, here he was at Walter Reed, arm in a sling due to what the Paramedics thought was a broken collar bone. It hurt like a son-of-a-bitch, so they probably weren't wrong. He'd been to X-Ray and one of the nurses had hooked him up to an IV so they could start pumping him full of pain-relievers.

Life pretty much sucked right then, mostly because he hated hospitals and it looked like he was going to be stuck in one for the foreseeable future. Add in the worry that Tali wasn't going to cope well with this and he was a big ball of nerves.

His cell phone chose that moment to ring. Tony very carefully pulled it out of his pocket, groaning when the movement shifted his arm. Thankfully, it was his left arm, so he could still pretty much function, but that was a small consolation.

Thumbing the screen, he cringed. "Great," he muttered. "Luke has impeccable timing."

He glanced up as Gibbs snorted. "You gonna answer that?"

"You think he'd kill me if I didn't?" Tony asked.

Luke's team had deployed to Jalalabad only the week before. It had been a month since the visit to North Carolina, but it seemed like just yesterday. They talked or texted almost every day, and they'd even formed a group text with Francesca and AJ. Meg had been added at some point, and even Gibbs had joined in, much to Tony's surprise.

Sighing, because he knew he wasn't going to avoid the third degree, he answered the Skype call. Luke's face filled his screen. His smile fell as soon as he got a good look at Tony's face.

"What the fuck happened to you?"

"Gee, nice to see you, too, little bro," Tony snarked.

"Seriously, Tony, what happened?" Luke asked. "You look like you've just gone ten rounds with the Hulk."

"I—would you accept that I'm fine and leave it at that?" Tony asked.

"No, I won't," Luke said. "Now stop deflecting and tell me how you got so beat up."

Gibbs snorted again. Tony shot him a quelling look, but otherwise didn't react.

"I was in an accident," Tony said. "My driver was taking me home after a banquet tonight. The cops say the driver who hit us was drunk. He broadsided the SUV I was in, on the driver's side. My driver took the brunt of the hit. He's upstairs in surgery as we speak. Broken leg and a possible skull fracture."

"Fuck," Luke said. Tony watched as he rubbed a hand over his face. "And you? What's the damage?"

"Broken collar bone, plus some cuts and bruises," Tony said. "I came out slightly better because I was on the opposite side of the car when it happened."

"Do you need anything?" Luke asked. "You're not alone, are you?"

"I'm not alone," Tony said. He stretched his thumb over to the button that switched the camera from the front to the back. "See? Gibbs is here. Say hi to Luke, Gibbs."

Gibbs just huffed a laugh. 

"You gonna stay with him until they drug him into unconsciousness, Gibbs?" Luke asked. "I'd rather not hear about him going AMA."

"I'll make sure he stays," Gibbs said. "Already called Meg. She and Tali will come by in the morning if he has to stay."

Tony poked the button again, switching the camera back to him. "You don't trust me?"

"If you're anything like me, you hate hospitals," Luke said. "I figure if the doctor even hints that you could go without surgery, you'll be out the door so fast you'll leave skid marks on the floor."

"Well, fortunately for you the doctor doesn't think it's gonna need surgery," Tony said. "But that means at least six to eight weeks in a sling."

Luke just laughed. "Oh man, the look on your face." He sobered. "Just promise me you'll take care of yourself and follow the doctor's orders."

"I will, I promise," Tony said.

There was a time when he'd have done just what Luke said and bailed out of the hospital AMA. But now, with Tali, he knew he couldn't do that. He had to actually be a responsible adult and take his lumps. It sucked, but he didn't want to scare her. More than that, he knew he wouldn't be able to take care of her if he was ignoring his own health.

"I'm going to hold you to that, Tony," Luke said. "Do you need any help? Anything Chessa can do for you?"

"Meg's got Tali covered," Tony said. "But she's gonna be stretched thin taking care of me and Tali at the same time. I don't want to put Francesca out, though. She's got the kids to think of."

"Doesn't mean she can't take a day or two and come up," Luke said. "Help Meg get you settled and stock up on food and such. Just say yes to the help. You're gonna need it."

"Alright, tell Francesca she can come up," Tony said, giving in with ill grace. "And thank you. Now, distract me from the pain. Tell me how you're doing. How's the deployment going?"

"Things are stable here," Luke said. "We're still trying to get our bearings, but it looks like it's going to be a quiet deployment."

"Look at you, jinxing yourself," Tony said, chuckling. "Just be careful out there. We're scheduled to have Thanksgiving together, and I don't like having my plans disrupted."

Luke chuckled. "Yes, sir. I plan to come home safe and sound. Got a lot more incentive this time around."

"Sounds good," Tony said. He looked up when the curtain parted to reveal the doctor. "Listen, the doctor is here, so I need to go. Take care of yourself."

"You too," Luke said. "Listen to the doctor. And Gibbs. And Meg."

"Yeah, yeah," Tony said. "I promise I won't talk myself into doing something stupid."

Gibbs snorted.

"I'm counting on him to keep you out of trouble for the foreseeable future," Luke said. 

"I'll cuff him to his desk if I have to," Gibbs said.

Luke and the doctor both laughed at that. 

"Talk to you soon, Luke," Tony said.

Once Luke had signed off, Tony shut the phone off and looked at the doctor. "So, what's the verdict? Can I get out of here?"

"The X-Rays look good," the doctor said. "I'm fairly confident in saying you can avoid surgery and just let the break heal on its own. I'll want you to come back in a week or so for more X-Rays, just so we can make sure the break is healing as it should be. You'll need to wear the sling for at least the next six weeks. We'll reevaluate at that point, based on your recovery."

"You'll get no argument from me, Doc," Tony said. 

"Now, will you take pain meds if I prescribe them for you?" the doctor asked.

"I'd rather not take anything too heavy," Tony said. "I don't respond well to most pain medications, and I'd rather not be loopy with my daughter at home. It might freak her out."

"I can understand that," the doctor said. "However, with this kind of break, the pain can be pretty intense. I've seen your file, so I know which ones you can't tolerate. I'll prescribe something with the understanding that you'll take it whenever you need to. Mostly you'll want it at night, because sleeping's going to be tough for a bit."

"Great," Tony grumbled.

"You should be good with Advil during the day, once the worst of the pain has subsided," the doctor said. "The nurse will have some instructions for you, and I'll give you a referral to the orthopedist so you can follow up."

"Thanks, Doc," Tony said.

The doctor shook his hand. "I wish I could say it was my pleasure, but I have a feeling you'd rather be anywhere but here tonight." He turned to Gibbs. "You'll make sure he gets home."

"Yeah," Gibbs said.

"Take care of yourself, Special Agent DiNozzo," the doctor said on his way out. "And let us know if there are any issues."

"Will do," Tony said. When the doctor had gone, he turned to Gibbs. "Get me out of here. Please? I think I've had enough of the hospital for a while."

Gibbs grunted. He helped Tony off the gurney and collected his stuff while they waited for the nurse to bring whatever he needed in order to leave.

~o~

Francesca dropped down on the couch on Tony's good side.

"Tired?" Tony asked.

He'd been relegated to watching movies in the den while Francesca and Meg cooked and froze some dinners and tag-teamed taking care of Tali. He'd wondered if having her come up was the right decision, right up until he saw the look on Meg's face when he told her Francesca was coming. She'd been so relieved that Tony felt a little guilty for having considered turning Luke down.

"Keeping up with Meg is much harder than it looks," she said.

Tony chuckled. "She's a handful, that's for sure."

"It is good, though," Francesca said. "I am learning a great deal from her. She is a wonderful cook. I have asked for some of her recipes, so she has promised to write them down for me before I go home."

"She is definitely a great cook," Tony said. "How are the kids doing with AJ in charge?"

Francesca chuckled. "They are like his little Army. It is fun for them to spend time together, and they are old enough to understand that I need to be here helping you, so they will behave."

"Thank you for this," Tony said quietly. "I'm sure we could have managed, but Meg's not getting any younger and I don't want to put that much pressure on her."

"Oh, Tony," Francesca said, smiling softly at him. "You are family. And family takes care of one another. Where else would I be right now?"

"I wasn't sure if… I mean, we went out a couple of times," Tony said. He hated feeling insecure, and having Francesca there was throwing him off his game. "I know we didn't end things badly, but I—"

"You are Luke's brother, Tony," she said. "Besides, you treated me well the times we went out. I enjoyed our time together immensely. But I also knew you were not interested in anything serious, most especially with my father's daughter."

"Don't get me wrong, I like AJ," Tony said. "I just knew it wasn't a good idea to marry his daughter. Besides, if I hadn't broken up with you, you'd have never met Luke. Seems like we're both right where we belong."

"Yes, we are," she said, smiling at him.

Tony smiled back, feeling content for the first time in a long time. He had his daughter, a dear friend to help him raise her, and now a brother and sister-in-law that filled a void he didn't even know he had.

Tony pressed play on the movie he'd been watching when Francesca had joined him. Then he put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. Life was pretty good, broken collar bone notwithstanding.

~o~

The knock at the door broke Tony out of the paperwork fugue he'd fallen into. He stretched his neck, clenching and unclenching his left fist a couple of times. His shoulder was stiff and sore, but it had only been about three weeks since the accident, so he still had at least a couple more weeks in the sling, and then weeks of physical therapy. He wasn't looking forward to any of it.

But instead of indulging his desire to just curl up with his Netflix account and ignore the world until he'd healed, he'd gotten up and gone to work every day. Plus, he hadn't wanted to scare Tali by just hiding away. She needed him to be his usual self, to know that the injury hadn't changed her father at all.

The knock sounded again, forcing Tony back from his musings. "Come," he called out. 

He expected Donna to come through the door; there were times when she actually let him authorize her to enter, but normally it was a power play, designed to reinforce his stature with his guest. Instead of Donna, it was Ellie coming through the door, followed by the last person he really wanted to see.

"Junior!"

Tony stood up. "Dad. What are you doing here?"

"What the hell happened to you?" Senior asked.

"I'll just…" Ellie said, backing out of the room.

Tony frowned at her, but she just flashed a weak smile as she shut the door.

"So, what happened?" Senior asked. "You get sucker punched by a suspect?"

"Car accident. Broken collar bone," Tony said, waving at his shoulder. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I went to your apartment, but there was a nice young lady in a wheelchair living there," Senior said. "So, I decided to come here, hoping you'd be here so you could explain why you and Tali aren't living in your condo."

"Dad," Tony said. He rubbed at his forehead. "I told you I was buying a house before I came back to the States."

"Ah, I can't be expected to remember every detail," Senior said. He sat down in one of the guest chairs. "Sit down before you fall down, Junior. You're looking a little peaky. Everything okay?"

Tony sat down and stared at his father. He'd spent his life seeking the man's approval, and suddenly he realized that he'd never have it. His own son wasn't even important enough to remember that he planned to buy a new house when they got back from Paris.

"I had a visitor a couple of months ago," Tony said. "Commander Luke Sundstrom, Navy SEAL."

"Okay," Senior said, frowning in confusion. "I'm not sure why that should be relevant to me. I don't know anyone named Luke Sundstrom."

"No, I don't suppose you do," Tony said. "You probably know his mother. Susan Carter."

Tony watched as the color drained out of his father's face. "Well, I—"

"Don't," Tony said, holding up a hand to forestall any of the hundred excuses he was probably about to hear. "He told me. About all of it. About how you'd had an affair with her, and about how you convinced her to let my mother adopt me. Only you never filed any paperwork, so at best I was Claire Paddington DiNozzo's stepson."

"Well, we thought it would be best for you," Senior said, looking distinctly uncomfortable.

"You mean you thought it would be best for the trust fund," Tony said. "My lawyer talked to Crispin, by the way. The trust was written in such a way that doesn't preclude a stepson from inheriting. So, they're not going to take the money away."

"That's good," Senior said, smiling as he leaned back. The smile was fragile, and he could see the sweat on his father's forehead. "Isn't it?"

"I don't care about the money," Tony said. "Well, that's not true. I care about the money you stole from my mother and gave to Susan Carter to take her son—your son—and go away."

"Wait, you have to understand—"

"No, I don't," Tony said. "I don't have to understand whatever bullshit reasons you had for sending her and my brother away. I'm tired of making excuses for you, Dad. And I'm done letting you hang around while you figure out how to take the rest of the money. I could live happily for the rest of my life without it, but the Paddingtons gave it to me, so I chose to honor their wishes. You stole from them, and you stole from me. You stole the money, true, but you also stole my brother from me."

"Your mother was always such a fragile thing," Senior said. "I thought that one kid was too much for her, but she desperately wanted a child. Her doctor warned her that a pregnancy could kill her, so I came up with another way. I talked to Clive about the trust—in a roundabout way—to make sure that if we adopted, that the family would recognize that child as hers. I just wanted to give her what she so desperately wanted."

"And it had nothing to do with the fact that you'd get more access to the trust fund if you had a child," Tony said.

"Well, I—"

"Which doesn't explain why you tried to keep me from finding out about the trust fund your grandfather left for me," Tony said.

"That money should have been mine," Senior said, voice gone hard. "He had no business giving it to you."

"Like the Paddingtons had no business giving me an educational trust?" Tony asked. "I let that go, you know. You called it an honest mistake, which I knew was a lie, but I let it go because you're my father. I shouldn't have, but I'm stupidly naïve when it comes to you, apparently. I keep expecting you to act like a human being, but all you can see is the con."

"Well, I can see you aren't going to be reasonable about this," Senior said as he stood. "I think I'll let you cool down before we try to discuss this again."

"We aren't going to discuss this again," Tony said wearily. "I'm done. I don't expect to ever see you again. It's unfortunate that the statute of limitations on your various crimes has run out. I'd have dearly loved to see you actually punished for your crimes. The best I can do now is punish you in the only way you'll understand. I'm cutting you off. Don't come back looking for money. Don't come back looking for anything."

"And what about Tali?" Senior asked. "You can't keep me away from my granddaughter."

"If she truly mattered to you, if either of your sons truly mattered to you, you'd have never attempted to defraud and embezzle from the Paddingtons or the DiNozzos," Tony said. "I don't know what I'm going to tell her about you, but whatever it is, I'm sure there'll be tears, because she actually loves you, whether you deserve it or not. That's what your bad acts have cost you: the love of a little girl who only wanted her grandfather to love her back. I hate that she has to learn this lesson, but maybe it's for the best."

"You're going to regret this," Senior said.

"Probably," Tony said. "I'm probably going to hate myself in the morning. But I'll still know that I did the right thing. Something you'd know nothing about. Now, I have work to do."

Tony turned and picked up a folder from the corner of his desk, ignoring his father still standing on the other side of his desk. When he didn't look up or otherwise acknowledge the man for several minutes, he finally huffed and walked out the door.

Tony leaned back in his chair, swiveling it so he could look out the windows. He hated that it had come to this, but it was probably always going to come to this, and he'd just been putting off the inevitable. He heard the door open and shut again, but he didn't bother to look up. He figured it was Donna, checking to make sure he was okay.

"Hey," a soft voice called out to him. "You okay?"

He turned his head to find Ellie walking around his desk. She leaned back against the edge, taking his free hand in hers and giving it a squeeze.

"No, I'm not," Tony said, going for honest for once. "I never expected to have that conversation with him. Despite everything he's done to me, I thought I'd just pretend I didn't know half of what I know and just… get on with life, like I've always done. For Tali's sake more than my own these days."

"No one deserves this," Ellie said quietly. "And you did the right thing, even if it hurts right now. You have to know that."

"Yeah, I do," Tony said. "But that doesn't make me feel any better. And somehow, I'm going to have to explain this to a little four-year-old girl who won't understand why her grandpa isn't going to be around anymore."

"She's four now, but one day she'll be old enough to understand why you had to cut Senior off," Ellie said. "In the meantime, you just tell her that he wanted to be with her, that he loves her dearly, but he just can't visit. It's the kindest thing you can do for her."

"When did you get so smart?" Tony asked.

"I don't know," Ellie said. "I don't feel very smart sometimes."

"Well, you're one of the smartest people I know," Tony said. He squeezed her hand. "Thank you. For being here. I don't normally let people in, but—"

"You don't want to carry this burden alone," Ellie finished for him. "And before you say it, no, it's not selfish. It's what friends are for."

"Well, then," Tony said. "As my very good friend, would you care to have dinner with me? I promise to pick someplace totally devoid of ostentatiousness. Just you and me and some really good pasta. What do you say?"

"I'd like that," Ellie said. "Now, I need to get back to work. Someone has to supervise Torres on this case. A female biker gang made up of Navy personnel is apparently more than his little brain can handle."

Tony chuckled. "Alright, get back to it. Dinner at 7pm tonight?"

"As long as we don't catch a break in the case, you're on," Ellie said. She pulled away from the desk and headed for the door. "I'll come by your house, since you still can't drive."

"You are a buzzkill, Special Agent Bishop," Tony said, pointing at her with his good hand.

Ellie's laugh followed him out of his office. Tony considered it a job well done and went back to his case reports, heart heavier and yet lighter at the same time.

~o~

"You know you don't need to keep calling just to make sure I'm okay," Tony said as he stood in front of his closet. 

Despite the fact that he'd told Ellie that dinner was just a friendly evening out, it felt more like a date than he was entirely comfortable with. He'd spent the last ten minutes standing in front of his closet trying to decide what to wear like some nervous sixteen year old going on his very first date.

"I know," Luke said. Tony could hear the shrug even if he couldn't see it. "But I like talking to you. And I'm all the way over here with no easy way to get to you if something else happens. Just tell me you're not normally this unlucky and I'll be fine."

"I wish I could, brother mine," Tony said. He sat down on his bed, letting out a sigh. "I've been shot, stabbed, nearly drowned, handcuffed with my own damned handcuffs, almost blown up more times than I'm comfortable admitting. Oh, and I had the plague once. I don't recommend it."

"The plague?" Luke asked faintly. "Jesus fucking Christ, Tony. Just how unlucky are you?"

Tony chuckled. "Unlucky enough that my father found me in my office this morning. I was kinda hoping he'd forgotten where I work."

"Are you okay?" Luke asked. 

"Yeah," Tony said, letting out a breath. "I'm okay. He's never going to be the father I wanted him to be, and I think I've finally realized that. He didn't even deny taking me from your mom. Just spun some tale about my mother being too fragile for a pregnancy. I looked up her autopsy report when I first came on board NCIS. If she was fragile, it was because she was a drunk. Her BAC was .13 on the day of the crash."

"Fuck," Luke said. "She wasn't just drunk, she was blotto. How was she even driving a car?"

"I have no idea," Tony said. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say she wasn't. I mean, I wouldn't put it past my father to have bribed someone to alter the report to show her driving instead of him. Especially if he was drunk as well. That would have ruined his reputation and probably sent him to jail for killing her in the crash."

"So, how'd you guys leave it?"

"I told him to go away and stay away," Tony said. "I'm done making excuses for him. I suspect he'll come back in a few months, just to test the waters, see if I'm still pissed."

"Let's hope he tries it again when I'm around," Luke said. "I'd like to put a fist through his face."

"Slow your roll, there, Butch Cassidy," Tony said. "He's an old man whose life hasn't turned out quite the way he expected. I think it'll be more of a punishment if I make him live with his mistakes."

"You think he'll learn from them?" Luke asked. "Because a man like him—one who's used to blaming everyone but himself—won't learn that lesson. He'll pass blame around to everyone but himself."

"Yeah," Tony said, sighing. "Unfortunately, you're probably right."

"So, what do you have planned tonight?" Luke asked. "Not planning to be alone, are you?"

"No, I'm not," Tony said. His usual way of dealing with crappy situations was to hermit at home. This time, he didn't really want to. "Ellie and I are going out to dinner. I promised her some really good pasta as thanks for wading into this clusterfuck."

"Uh huh," Luke said. "And it didn't have anything to do with the fact that you might like her a little?"

"What?" Tony asked. "I like Ellie. She was my probie. Turned into a good investigator. She has instincts you can't teach."

"That's not what I meant and you know it," Luke said. "If she kisses you goodnight, it's a date. You know that, right?"

"I—she's not going to kiss me goodnight," Tony said, but he was a lot less confident that he sounded. 

"Are you standing in front of your closet trying to figure out what to wear?"

Tony shifted uncomfortably. "No."

"But you were," Luke said. Tony could hear the smile in his voice. "Face it, bro, it's a date."

"That wasn't…"

"Why you asked her out, I know," Luke said. "But you trust her, you like her, and she appears to like you. Roll with it, Tony. You never know how something's going to turn out."

"I don't exactly have the best track record with women," Tony said. "And I'm tired of the disappointments, honestly."

"That's no reason not to try," Luke said quietly. "I'm not saying you need a wife or girlfriend to be satisfied with life. No one person has that power in your life except you. But, it's nice to have a plus one. Someone who makes every situation a little bit better just by being there."

"Is that what you have with Francesca?" Tony asked.

"Yeah, I do," Luke said. "She's the best part of my life, easily. If I had to hang it up tomorrow, I could because I know I'd be going home to her. As long as I have Chessa, the rest is just details. My parents were the same way."

"I've never had that sort of example," Tony said. "My parents were… I'm not even sure they loved each other. I know Dad was after her trust fund, but I don't know what my mother got out of it."

"Maybe it was enough to just have someone in her life," Luke said. "People have married for stranger reasons."

"True," Tony said. "Like my father chasing after Mom's trust fund."

"I should let you go," Luke said. "Have fun tonight. Live a little."

"Not a lot of living going on with the sling," Tony said. "But I take your point. I'll enjoy the evening, and try not to be a jaded asshole if it does turn out to be a date."

"That's the spirit," Luke said, chuckling. "Take care, Tony. No more car crashes."

"Yes, sir," Tony said. He felt like he wanted to salute, but that wasn't happening, and Luke couldn't see it anyway.

"Goodnight, Tony," Luke said.

Tony smiled. "Have a good day, Luke."

He hung up the phone and stared at his closet, no closer to figuring out what to wear, but oddly a little less sad about what happened with his father earlier.

~o~

Tony jogged down the stairs as soon as he heard the doorbell ring. By the time he got to the bottom of the stairs, Meg had already let Ellie in. She was holding Tali, who was chattering away. Ellie, to her credit, appeared to be hanging on her every word. It made Tony's heart swell a little to see how focused Ellie was.

"Hey," Tony said. "Looks like you have a friend."

"Tali was just telling me about the chickens at her preschool," Ellie said. "I told her we had a bunch of chickens on the farm when I was growing up."

"Can I see them?" Tali asked.

Ellie looked at Tony, one eyebrow raised. Tony sighed. "Oklahoma is a long way from here, Tali-girl. Maybe someday, but not today. And not tomorrow, either. You have school."

"I can't wait to tell Joey about Agent Ellie's chickens," Tali said enthusiastically.

Tony chuckled, both at her excitement over a chicken, and her nickname for Ellie. Tony made it a policy to never allow his daughter to call anyone by their first name unless it was preceded by 'uncle' or 'aunt'. She had the option to call someone 'miss' or 'mister', but as soon as she'd heard that Tony knew Ellie from work, she'd dubbed her Agent Ellie, and that was that.

"Alright, Tali," Tony said. "Daddy's going to dinner with Agent Ellie. You behave for Meg, and I'll come in and kiss you goodnight when I get home."

"Okay, Daddy," Tali said. She kissed Ellie's cheek and then slid down out of her arms. "Goodnight, Agent Ellie."

"Goodnight, Tali," Ellie said as she stroked a hand over her head. "Sleep well."

"Have a good time, you two," Meg said. She winked at Tony. "Feel free to stay out as late as you'd like. Just don't do anything I wouldn’t do."

"Because that's not frightening," Tony muttered. He looked at Ellie. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah," Ellie said. She waved goodbye to Meg and Tali and followed Tony out the door. "You okay to take my car?"

"I'll even let you drive," Tony said magnanimously.

Ellie snorted. "It must be driving you nuts—no pun intended—to not be able to drive yourself to and from work."

"Eh, it's not the first time I've had to have someone drive me around," Tony said. "I'll manage. Besides, my budget does allow for a driver; I just choose not to have one. So, this won't even make a dent in my bottom line."

Ellie opened the passenger side door and held it open for him while he secured the seatbelt. She shut the door and walked around, sliding behind the wheel. When she turned to look at Tony, he was grinning like a loon.

"What?" she asked.

Tony shrugged his good shoulder. "It's just… usually, it's me behind the wheel on a—"

"On a what?" Ellie asked. When he didn't answer, she raised an eyebrow. "On a date?"

"Well, yeah, but that's not—unless you want it to be?"

Ellie snorted. "Really smooth there, DiNozzo."

"Look," Tony said, sighing. "I didn't plan for this to seem like a date, but I'm not exactly opposed, either. As was recently pointed out to me, I don't get out nearly enough."

"There's nothing wrong with not dating, Tony," Ellie said. "I mean, dating just for the sake of dating is kind of dumb."

"True," Tony said. "So, how do you feel about this being a date?"

"I'm not opposed," Ellie said with a knowing smile.

"Well, alright then," Tony said. He let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "I suppose we should get this date on the road, then."

"Just as soon as you tell me where we're going," Ellie said.

"Right," Tony said. "I thought we'd go Filoni's on Main. They hand-make their own pasta, and their tiramisu is to die for."

"Sounds good to me," Ellie said. She started the car and put it in gear, pulling away from the curb. "Someone told me once that you're not a bad cook yourself."

"I dabble," Tony said. He did a bit more than dabble, but he hated bragging, so he always tended to downplay his skill in the kitchen. "Meg does most of the cooking, but I'm in charge of pasta. You should come over one night. Tali would be beside herself with excitement."

"Just Tali?" Ellie asked. She never took her eyes off the road, but Tony could tell she wanted to look at him, to read what he was thinking, or maybe look for some kind of tell.

"Well, yeah, Tali would be excited," Tony said. "I don't think that'd be news to you. But I think I'd enjoy it. Meg would as well; she likes watching me cook, mostly because she has never been able to master pasta. Otherwise, she'd chase me out of the kitchen."

Ellie laughed brightly. "I could see that. I guess we'll have to plan an evening for me to come over."

Tony wanted desperately to reach over and take Ellie's hand, but unfortunately, his left arm was in the sling. He'd always enjoyed holding hands in the car with whichever woman he was with. Romance was about the little things, and Tony had always enjoyed the details.

Now that they'd decided this was actually a date, Tony was looking forward to injecting a little romance into their relationship.

~o~

Tony grabbed Ellie's hand as soon as they got out of the car. It was only a few steps to the front door of his house, but he'd missed out on holding her hand in the car, so this was the next best thing.

They'd spent far longer in the restaurant than he'd expected, just talking and laughing. It felt… good to enjoy spending an evening with a woman who had no agenda other than to have fun with him. He hoped she'd enjoyed it so much that she wanted to do it again.

"You're being awfully quiet," Ellie said. 

They came to a stop on the front porch. Tony turned and looked at Ellie. She looked lovely, even in the slightly yellow light of the front porch light.

"I was just thinking that I'd had a good time tonight," he said. "And I was wondering if you'd like to do it again."

"I had fun, too," Ellie said. "I think I ate too much."

Tony chuckled. She had gone to town on her dinner, but he couldn't fault her for enjoying it so much. After all, it was one of his very favorite restaurants.

"Well, it's not like you can turn down tiramisu," Tony said. "Especially not Bella's tiramisu. I swear to god she puts clouds and sunshine in it."

Ellie laughed. "It does taste like that's exactly what's inside. And to answer the question you not-quite-asked, yes, I'd love to do this again."

"Good," Tony said. "Thank you for driving, and for getting me home before curfew."

"My pleasure, Tony," Ellie said. She pushed up on her toes, dropping a sweet, entirely chaste kiss on his lips. Despite the lack of tongue, he felt the kiss down to his toes.

She pulled back and turned to walk back to her car, looking back at him and winking. Tony smiled helplessly.

Luke was probably going to be insufferable, but at that moment, he didn't really care.

~o~


	10. Chapter 10

~o~

Tony reached for the phone when it rang, not even looking up from the case report he was reviewing.

"Special Agent in Charge Anthony DiNozzo," he said into the receiver.

"Special Agent DiNozzo, this is Captain Thompson Gregory, JSOC."

Tony's head popped up. There could be a hundred reasons the man was calling NCIS, none of them good, but there was only one reason he really didn't want to hear. "Captain Gregory. What can I do for you today?"

"Engage the encryption on your phone, son, and then we'll talk," Gregory said.

Tony reached for the switch on his phone, flipping it and watching as the little red light blinked several times before going solid red.

"Alright, encryption's engaged," Tony said. "Now, what's this about?"

"It's my understanding that you are Commander Luke Sundstrom's next of kin," Gregory said.

"He's my brother," Tony said, heart sinking. There was only one reason for such a question. He only hoped he was wrong.

"And his primary emergency contact," Gregory said. "I'm sorry to be the one to tell you, but your brother was seriously injured while on deployment."

"Is he… " Tony took a deep breath and tried again. "He's not dead, is he?"

"No, he's not dead," Gregory said. "But he was severely injured. He's being treated at the CASH in J-bad, and as soon as he's stable, he'll be transported to Ramstein."

Tony breathed a sigh of relief, though it was short-lived. He'd worked with the military for long enough to know that notification was normally made by two people—officers, if the deceased was an officer—and in person. But even though Tony was the primary emergency contact, they'd still make notification to Francesca before anyone else. 

"Was TOC attacked?" Tony asked, thinking that was the likely answer to how his brother, of all people, was injured.

"No, it wasn't," Gregory said. "Information is sketchy at best, but what we do know is that your brother was part of a convoy that came under attack. Several members of his unit were medevacked to the CASH."

"How soon before they transport him?" Tony asked. His mind was whirling with everything he'd need to do to get to Germany to meet Luke's transport.

"I'm given to understand that he'll likely be moved late today or early tomorrow," Gregory said. "The doctors in J-bad have stabilized him, but I've been told that he'll need surgery once he reaches Germany. Will you be able to give consent, or does his wife hold his medical proxy?"

"Francesca is his medical proxy," Tony said. "But unless you object, I'll be joining her as well."

"I have no objection to that," Gregory said. "You'll arrange transport for both you and Mrs. Sundstrom?"

"I'll take care of it," Tony said. He had resources, so even if they had to arrange for commercial flights to Germany, he'd have it covered. "If we have to fly commercial, will we be met at the airport?"

"I'll arrange for a pick-up for you and Mrs. Sundstrom, regardless of what airport you arrive at," Gregory said. "Just leave your flight information with my assistant and she'll handle the details."

"Thank you, sir," Tony said.

"I wish I could say it's my pleasure, but honestly, these are the calls I hate to make," Gregory said. "Your brother is a good man and a great warrior. I have every confidence that he'll recover from this."

"I hope so, sir," Tony said. Without knowing how seriously Luke was injured, he had no way of knowing if he'd even survive to operate again. "Thank you for calling. I appreciate it."

"Your brother will be in all our thoughts and prayers," Gregory said.

"Thank you, sir," Tony said.

He hung up the phone, sitting back and rubbing a hand over his face. The nightmare scenario had come to pass, and now Tony was faced with the very real possibility that he'd lose the brother he'd only just found. He felt an involuntary shudder ripple down his back. He couldn't afford to think that way, so he just pushed that thought aside in favor of the practicalities.

Reaching for his phone, he pressed the intercom button. Instead of Donna's voice, he got Donna pushing through his door.

"I've got you and Francesca on the next transport bound for Ramstein," she said, handing over a piece of paper. "It leaves tomorrow evening. I've already started looking at flights from North Carolina to DC."

"Make sure you look at seats for the whole family," Tony said. "They'll likely bring Luke back to Walter Reed, so the kids will need to be here when that happens."

"You think they'll bring him back quickly?" Donna asked.

"I'm hoping it's not as bad as Gregory implied," Tony said. "But I just don't know. Either way, I think it's better if the kids are here."

"Your credit card's gonna get a workout," Donna said as she headed back to her desk.

"See if you can charter a flight," Tony said before she reached the door. "I'm assuming AJ will be with them, so getting five seats on a commercial flight last-minute might be tough."

"Wow," Donna said. "I take it back. Your credit card is going to scream for mercy by the time I'm done."

Tony huffed a laugh, but sobered almost immediately. He was assuming a lot and needed to actually make the call that would set the whole thing in motion. Picking up his cell phone, he scrolled until he found the right number, then hit the dial button before he could overthink it.

"Chegwidden."

"AJ, it's Tony."

There was a long pause before the Admiral responded. "How bad?"

Tony sighed. "I don't know. All I know is that he was injured and is en-route to Ramstein."

"Jesus," AJ said. "Okay, let me get Francesca and we'll fly out to Germany as soon as we can."

"Actually, I'd rather you come here," Tony said. "I've gotten Francesca and I on a transport to Ramstein out of Andrews tomorrow night. And I have my assistant looking at getting you guys on a flight up here as soon as possible. I apologize if that seems high handed, but—"

"No, no, it's okay," AJ said. "I appreciate what you've already done. Have you talked to Francesca yet?"

"No, I haven't," Tony said. "Honestly, I'm not sure I want to deliver news like this over the phone. But I hate that it puts you in the position to be the one to tell her."

"Don't worry about that, son," AJ said. "That's my job."

Tony didn't know what to say to that, so he just didn't comment. "I've asked Donna to see if she can charter a flight for you. That way you can bring the kids with you. You guys can stay at the house, so they'll already be here when they bring Luke back to the States."

"You think that'll happen quickly?" AJ asked.

"I have no idea," Tony said. How did he explain that all he really wanted was his family close? 

"I get it," AJ said quietly. "And there's no shame in wanting your loved ones near you when the shit hits the fan. We'll get the kids packed up and wait for your call on the flight."

"Okay," Tony said. "I'll call if I hear anything else."

"Thanks, Tony," AJ said. "For everything."

Tony hung up and took a deep breath. He wasn't sure how he was going to get through this, but he had to somehow. Francesca needed him to be strong, so that's what he'd be. There'd be plenty of time for him to fall apart after they got Luke back to the States.

~o~

Tony approached Vance's office, his steps faltering as he closed in on his assistant's desk.

"You can go in, Special Agent DiNozzo," she said kindly. "Gibbs is with him."

"How did you…?"

"Donna let me know."

"Thanks, Vivian," Tony said with a small smile.

He turned the knob on the door and walked inside. Just as Vivian had said, Gibbs was standing in front of Vance's desk. Tony walked over and stood beside his one-time boss and mentor.

"You need me to leave?" Gibbs asked before Vance could even open his mouth.

"No," Tony said. He turned to Vance, who merely raised an eyebrow. "My brother was injured this morning in Afghanistan. He's being evacuated to Ramstein for treatment."

"Jesus," Vance said. He straightened up in his seat.

"That's about how I reacted, sir," Tony said. "I've already made arrangements to fly to Germany with Luke's wife. With your permission, sir. I don't know how long I'll be gone…"

"Don't worry about that," Vance said. "Your family is your first priority. Gibbs will step up and take point on the Field Office."

Gibbs nodded. "You need anything?"

"I've got Donna looking for flights, or maybe a charter to get Francesca, AJ and the kids up here. I need to have Meg get the house ready. I have no idea where that many people are going to sleep, but we'll make it work."

"Let Chegwidden know he's welcome at my place," Gibbs said. "Got plenty of room. He can borrow my truck if he needs it."

"Thanks," Tony said. "I'm sure he'll appreciate the offer."

"Have you got anything pending that we should know about?" Vance asked.

"Balboa's team is working a murder, and King and his team are investigating a bunch of break-ins down at Norfolk," Tony said. "Beyond that, it's just the usual crackpots and crazies. The lab is coming up for recertification, but Kasie's all over it, so I'm not concerned. She did a lot to bring the lab up to spec after Abby left. We'll pass with flying colors, but I was thinking about having an audit before the certification comes due, just to flag up any issues we might not be aware of."

Tony felt rather than saw Gibbs stiffen up at the mention of Abby. She was still a sensitive—and mostly forbidden—topic at HQ. There were those who thought she'd gotten a raw deal, and those who were more than happy to see her go. After she left, they'd discovered several major issues in the lab, issues that Kasie brought to their attention in her first week on the job.

"You think there'll be any?" Vance asked, glancing between Gibbs and Tony. 

He was likely looking for any telltale signs that Gibbs was about to lose it, but Tony knew that Gibbs was firmly in the camp that had be relieved when she'd left. It had been heartbreaking to realize just how broken her relationship with Gibbs had become, but if it was a choice between Abby and Gibbs, well… Gibbs would win every time.

"No, I don't," Tony said. "Like I said before, Kasie found the worst of the issues in her first week, and she's been steadily working through a list of things she wanted to change over the last six months. Some of it was just personal preference, but I understand that some of it was to fall in line with current best practices."

"Alright," Vance said. "I'll meet with Ms. Hines and make a plan to bring in an auditor."

"No offense, sir, but you intimidate the hell out of her," Tony said. "It might be better if she meets with Gibbs. She's used to dealing with him, and despite appearances, Gibbs knows his stuff. I'd feel comfortable with anything they come up with."

"Gibbs?" Vance asked, looking to the other man.

"Fine with me, Leon" Gibbs said.

"Dare I ask why King and his team are at Norfolk?" Vance asked. "We have a team down there, if I'm not mistaken."

"And they're good at what they do," Tony said. "But this is a string of robberies targeting the officer corps exclusively, which means high value items being stolen. The current supposition is that it's a team or gang doing the B & Es, but the Norfolk team had been coming up empty, so they asked for some help."

"How long do they expect to be down there?" Vance asked.

"They left yesterday morning," Tony said. "With any luck, they'll wrap this up by the end of the week and be back in time for the Monday morning debrief. I'll ask King to update you and Gibbs as the case progresses. Feel free to pull them if the case is going nowhere. I told the Norfolk guys they could have my team, but that if things stalled, we'd have to recall them."

"Fair enough," Vance said. "Anything else?"

"Not that I can think of," Tony said. "I'll have my phone, so if anything does come up and you need me to weigh in, just call."

"Noted," Vance said. "We'll try not to bother you if we can help it. I'm sure between the two of us, we can handle things here. You just take care of your family."

"Thanks, Director," Tony said. 

Before he could turn to walk out of the office, Gibbs was pulling him into a hug. He stiffened for just a moment before just melting into the embrace.

"You need anything, you call," Gibbs said quietly in his ear.

"Thanks," Tony said just as quietly. 

He pulled back and looked over at Vance, who'd stood up. He held out a hand; Tony grasped it and nodded at Vance.

"Take care," Vance said. "We'll keep your family in our thoughts and prayers."

"Thank you, sir," Tony said.

He bailed out of the office before things got even more awkward. He wasn't sure why everyone always said that—keeping you in their thoughts and prayers—but he appreciated the sentiment. It was nice to know people cared, even if he wasn't always comfortable with the idea that they cared. Or the practicalities of actually letting others take care of him, but that was a horse of a different color.

Right now, he had to focus on Luke, and taking care of his family. He could dissect his own issues later. Much later.

~o~

Hours later, Tony was leaning against the front end of his SUV outside a hanger in the general aviation section of Reagan International Airport. Donna had gotten him a charter, though he hadn't asked who she'd reached out to in order to make that happen. 

Beside him, Ellie stood silently lending him support. This thing between them, whatever it was, hadn't even had time to breathe, much less develop into something he could even put a label on, and now they were falling headlong into a crisis. He was hoping this wouldn't put an end to it before it even started.

"So, how did Donna get a charter on such short notice?" Ellie asked.

Tony shrugged. "I have no idea, and I didn't ask. Probably don't want to know who I'm going to owe my firstborn son to."

"Have you heard anything else from JSOC?"

"No," Tony said. "But I didn’t really expect to. They called to let me know his transport to Ramstein was delayed, but beyond that there was no update on his condition."

"Let's hope no news is good news," Ellie muttered. 

They stood in silence for a few minutes, waiting for the plane to land. There was a time when he'd have just sent Ellie home without discussion, preferring to be alone to lick his wounds than have to make any kind of polite conversation. But standing there with her wasn't as awkward as he'd expected it to be.

"You know, you didn't have to come with," Tony said quietly.

"I know," Ellie said. She reached out and took his hand, lacing her fingers with his and squeezing. "But I doubt you're going to fit five people and all their luggage in your SUV. It's big but it's not that big." She paused. "Besides, you shouldn’t have to do this alone."

"I've been doing this—or something like it—alone for a long time," Tony said. He winced at the way that sounded, but it was true.

"I know," she said. "And I appreciate that you're strong enough to cope with the pain and stress, but sometimes it's also good to know you have someone you can lean on. I'm not here just for the good times, you know. I'm here for the parts that suck, too."

"Thank you," he said. "I just—I'm not one of those people who normally needs anyone. I've had no one to rely on but me for a very long time."

"You have Gibbs," she said. "And I know he's had your six since you met. Whether you believe it or not, everyone on the team would be here in a heartbeat if you'd told them what was going on. We're not just a team, we're a family, remember?"

"Don't have much experience with that, either," Tony said with a humorless chuckle.

"Which is why I'm here," Ellie said. "To make sure you know who your family is."

Tony raised their joined hands and pressed a kiss to the back of hers. "I've been getting a crash course on family the last six months. It's… weird. I used to live alone, come and go as I pleased. Now, I have a daughter, and what amounts to a mother hen. And you."

"And me," Ellie agreed. "And Gibbs and McGee. Maybe even Torres, although I'm not sure you want him in your family. He's… odd."

Tony chuckled. "I had my doubts about him when Gibbs first proposed putting him on the team. He's not a natural fit as an investigator, but then neither was McGee when he first joined. Torres was too much of a lone wolf. I figured he'd piss Gibbs off inside a month and we'd be looking for a new team member for you guys. I even gave a passing thought to slotting Clayton Henry into the team. Gibbs got along with him well enough, but his skills would have been wasted investigating crimes, so I'm glad I didn't push the issue."

"Clayton's great," Ellie said, "He's got instincts you can't teach, but I agree he's probably better suited to the task force."

"Gibbs wanted Alex Quinn on the team," Tony said. 

"From FLETC?"

"The very one," Tony said. "I heard she worked an investigation with you guys just before I came back. I was kind of surprised Gibbs wanted another authority figure on the team. That's not how he usually works, or at least it wasn't when I was on the team."

"We could have learned a lot from her, though," Ellie said. "Which might have been what he wanted."

"Gibbs had specific reasons for wanting her on the team," Tony said. "But she's not ready. He did make me promise to keep after her to get back into the field. I can't say he's wrong, but I'm not willing to push the issue until or unless I need to."

"Interesting," Ellie said. "I can't say I wouldn't welcome having her around. It is a bit of a sausage fest in the bullpen right now."

"Noted," Tony said with a chuckle. "But I do agree that you guys could benefit from her experience. It has to be her choice, though. I'm not interested in forcing her to take on field work again unless she's ready for that. Last I checked, I think—"

Tony didn't finish the thought because there was an increase in activity around them, indicating that a plane was headed their way. The ground crew was gathering, a fueling truck on standby and several crew members preparing to offload passengers and cargo.

When the plane taxied around the corner, Tony almost choked on his spit. The Presidential Seal was displayed prominently on the tail of the plane. He was going to kill Donna. She hadn't just gotten him a plane, she'd gotten him the former President's plane. He didn't even want to ask where the President—or, former President—was stranded to make this happen.

Ellie whistled. "I know Donna has connections, but isn't this a little extreme?"

"It got the family here," Tony said, resigning himself to owing someone a favor. Or three. "I'd have never asked for it, but clearly she's still got some pull."

Several minutes later, the door opened, and the stairs unfolded. The Admiral stepped out and descended the stairs, followed by Francesca and the kids, who were chattering away, still appearing excited by the adventure of flying on a private plane.

"Tony," Francesca said. 

She reached up and pulled him into a tight hug. He could feel her body shaking with worry. He held her close for long moments while AJ watched from a few feet away.

"He'll be fine," Tony said as he pulled back, looking into her watery eyes. "He's a fighter, Francesca. He's going to be okay, right?"

"Yes," Francesca said. She wiped at her eyes. "Of course. I just—"

"I know, but we can't afford to let the worry win," Tony said. He glanced around to find the kids huddled around AJ, with Ellie standing just a bit apart to give him some time to greet the family. "Okay, guys. This is Special Agent Ellie Bishop. She's gonna help us get sorted back to my house."

"Special Agent Bishop," AJ said, turning around to shake her hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"You too, Admiral," Ellie said. She turned to Francesca and shook her hand as well. "Mrs. Sundstrom."

"Please, it is just Francesca," she said. "These are my children. Jake, the oldest, and the twins, Micah and Olivia."

The kids smiled shyly at Ellie, waving at her. Ellie smiled and waved back. "So, Mom and the kids in Tony's SUV. Admiral, you'll ride in my car. Sound good?"

A chorus of agreements later, and they were getting the luggage into the back of Tony's SUV. AJ pulled him into a quick hug.

"Thank you, son," he said when he'd pulled back. "But the President's plane? Who'd you have to blackmail?"

Tony chuckled. "My assistant used to be the Chief of Staff to Terry Santos. I suspect she called her husband, Josh Lyman, President Santos' Chief of Staff. I'd have never asked her to do that, but I'm rarely the boss around here."

"No, it was good," AJ said. "It kept the kids occupied. And the ride was sweet, so there's that. I'll certainly have a story to tell at the O-Club when we get back."

Tony chuckled. "You'll be the talk of the town, that's for sure."

AJ patted his shoulder and went to help Francesca get the kids settled in the back seat. Ellie joined him at the back as he pushed the last of the suitcases into the SUV.

"That everything?" she asked.

"Looks like," he said. He pulled his keys out of his pocket, dropping them in her hand. "Thanks for helping out. I'll see you at the house?"

"I'll drop the Admiral and collect my keys," she said as she passed him her car keys. "Then I think I'll take off. You guys don't need me hanging around."

"You don't have to run off," Tony said. "I'd like it if you stayed. If this is gonna turn into a thing, they should get to know you."

"Tony," she said. "They don't need me hanging around—"

"Yes, we do!"

Tony and Ellie turned to face the inside of the SUV, seeing Francesca turned in her seat and watching them. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Well, you two were going to debate it to death," Francesca said. "So, I thought I would give you my opinion."

The kids also chimed in with variations on the theme. Tony turned to Ellie, still with a raised eyebrow. "Well?"

"Okay," she said, hands raised in surrender. "I'll come in. Geez."

Tony smiled as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Thanks. See you at the house."

He jogged over to Ellie's car and slide behind the wheel, watching as Ellie hopped into his SUV and started it up.

"She seems nice," AJ said. "Walked right up and introduced herself to what amounts to your in-laws. Brave girl."

"She is," Tony said. He turned to AJ. "She's… special."

"I can see that," AJ said. "Now, come on. Let's get home so we can really get to know her."

Tony sighed. Seemed like he wasn't in charge of his life anymore. Not that he could complain. He had an embarrassment of riches in the family department, when he'd had a desert before. Turned out, having too much family wasn't a bad thing after all.

~o~

The next day, Tony and Francesca were getting ready to leave when the doorbell rang. Tony figured it was too early to be his driver picking them up to head to the airport, but the only other explanation made him break out into a cold sweat. 

He waved everyone else off and pulled the door open to find Gibbs on the other side. He'd been by early that morning to drop AJ off, but since the Admiral would probably stay at Tony's with the kids while he and Francesca were in Germany, he honestly hadn't expected to see the man before they left.

"Come in," Tony said, shaking his head. "Sorry, you just took me by surprise."

Gibbs walked in, pausing in the foyer until Tony had closed the door. "Figured I'd come check on everyone. See how you're doing."

"It was a little chaotic last night," Tony said. He waved Gibbs into the house, taking note of everyone disappearing back to whatever they'd been doing before the doorbell rang. "The kids act like this is one big sleepover, but it's good having them here."

"Any word on Luke?"

AJ appeared in the living room just as Tony and Gibbs walked in. The two men shook hands, and Tony marveled at how civil they were being toward each other. 

"Last update we had was that he's finally en-route to Ramstein," Tony said. "There was some delay, but they wouldn't go into why, though they did say it wasn't related to his injuries."

"He's stable for the moment," AJ said. "His leg was broken in two places, and he's got a concussion, but the most worrying thing the doctor mentioned was the laceration to his liver."

"Jesus," Gibbs said. "You'll keep me posted while you're over there?"

"Of course," Tony said. 

"Good," Gibbs said. "You need anything, you call. Don't care what time it is."

"Same goes for me," AJ said. He glanced at Gibbs, who gave him a nod. "We'll take care of the kids. You take care of your brother."

Tony could feel his chest tightening with emotion. For as much as his own father was a failure as a parent, he realized that it was because of these two men that he was even a halfway decent parent. Not that he'd tell them that; at least, not today. But he'd find a way to repay them for all the lessons they'd taught him.

"Thank you," Tony said, instead of the hundred other things rolling around in his head. "Both of you."

Gibbs glanced at his watch. "Better get going. Don't want to miss the plane."

"We're just—" The doorbell chose that moment to ring. "Waiting on my driver. That's probably him."

There was a flurry of activity as Francesca and Tony grabbed their gear and piled into the car. The last image Tony had was of AJ and Gibbs standing on his front porch, watching his car drive away. He couldn't say why, but in that moment, he thought things might just work out after all.

~o~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Terminology:  
> JSOC=Joint Special Operations Command  
> CSH (pronounced CASH)=Combat Support Hospital  
> TOC=Tactical Operations Center  
> FLETC=Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers


	11. Chapter 11

~o~

Travelling on a C-5 Galaxy wasn't exactly going in the lap of luxury. As far as military transport planes went, it was nicer than most. Its sheer size meant that it was both quiet and smooth. But the passenger areas on the upper deck of the plane were pretty basic: airplane seats, but no tray tables and no overhead bins. 

Tony and Francesca had stowed their baggage in the cargo area along with the gear and equipment being shipped out with a unit headed for Afghanistan. They'd been fortunate that there were several seats left on the flight. It was a little over six hours to Ramstein, so there wasn't a need to carry a second flight crew, which left more room for passengers.

Tony had brought his tablet with him, thinking he might watch a couple of movies to pass the time, but in the end he'd just leaned back, closed his eyes and tried very hard not to think about his brother. That had worked for a little while, but worry kept creeping in every time he closed his eyes.

At one point, he felt Francesca's slim hand slip into his. He opened his eyes and glanced over at her. She had her eyes closed, but they were pinched with worry. He squeezed her hand; she looked over at him, and he could see the mirror of his own worry in her eyes.

"He's a fighter," Tony said, just loud enough for her to hear without disturbing those around him. "He's not going to let this be the thing that takes him from you."

"I know," Francesca said. "He has always been so strong. I knew from the very first time I met him that he would not willingly leave me, if he could prevent it. It was… overwhelming, at first. We had only just met, you see."

"He does come across as a bit… intense," Tony said. "But I've met enough SEALs in my lifetime to know that's pretty much the norm with them. Each one of them alone could make war on a whole army, and probably win. Imagine what it's like when they all work together."

Francesca chuckled. "They are all like big teddy bears. You should see them with the children. So gentle and kind. It is truly wonderful to see."

"I've seen Gibbs melt in the face of a child that needs help," Tony said. "What is it about these big, tough men that they become so gentle and patient with kids when they aren't with anyone else?"

"You are no different with your daughter," Francesca said. "She has… softened you. Made you much more settled and at peace with yourself."

"She has done that," Tony said. "I think becoming a parent forces you to mature faster than you might have if you'd never had kids. I know I'm not the same guy I was ten years ago. Hell, I'm not even the same person I was two years ago."

"You are not so very different, Tony," she said. "You were always very kind to me. As someone who had only recently come to America, I appreciated your patience as I grew comfortable with the language and found my way around."

"You made it easy, Francesca," he said. "You're such a sweet, wonderful woman. I can completely understand why Luke fell in love with you."

"I suppose it is a good thing that you and I did not work out," she said with a sly smile. "Perhaps if we had, you would not have found your way to Ellie. She is such an amazing woman."

"You liked her?" Tony asked. 

Francesca smiled at him, that knowing smile that always drove him nuts. "Yes, I liked her. She gave me her phone number and asked me to call her whenever I wished. It was generous of her to do so for a near-perfect stranger."

"Ellie's great," he said. "I feel like—I'm not sure I'd have seen her as anything other than a colleague before Tali. She's changed my perspective on what I'm looking for in a life partner, you know? Like, really changed it. I'm not even sure I'd have ever gotten married before I had Tali in my life. Now, I'd actually consider it if the right woman came along."

"And is Ellie the right woman?"

Tony sighed. "I don't know. We've only been out on one date, but we've known each other for long enough that it's not awkward at all. I find myself looking forward to spending time with her, when I've almost never felt like that with other women. That alone is telling, but I know neither of us is ready to say this is a forever thing."

"That will come with time," Francesca said. She squeezed his hand. "And when Luke has recovered, I am sure he will be more than happy to offer some advice."

"Or tease me relentlessly, more like," Tony said. He took a deep breath. "I meant what I said earlier. He's gonna be fine. He'll pull through and be home harassing you and the kids in no time. I refuse to believe anything else."

It might be short-sighted of him to believe it, but he didn't care. Even though it had only been about six months since they'd met, Tony simply couldn't imagine his life without Luke in it.

"I know, Tony," Francesca said. "I feel the same way."

He squeezed her hand one more time, then settled back and closed his eyes. Francesca snuggled into his side, so he let go of her hand and slid his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. It was a little awkward with the arm of the seat in the way, but he didn't care. He needed her close just like she needed him close. And it wouldn't be much longer until they arrived at Ramstein Air Base.

~o~

There was a Specialist and a Hummer waiting for them at the bottom of the C-5's ramp after they landed.

"Special Agent DiNozzo, Mrs. Sundstrom," the Specialist said as they approached her. "I'm Specialist Stewart and I'm here to take you to the base hospital. Do you have all your things?"

"Specialist Stewart," Tony said, nodding at her. "We're ready to go whenever you are."

She nodded at them both and turned for the Hummer. Tony stowed his and Francesca's suitcases in the back and slammed the door. Fortunately, they'd been among the last to board the flight, so their bags were easily accessible and it hadn't taken much to retrieve them.

Tony opened the rear door on the vehicle and helped Francesca climb in. Once she was settled, he closed her door and opened the front passenger door, pulling himself up into the seat and shutting the door behind him.

"Colonel Halpern asked me to take you directly to the hospital," Stewart said. "We just have to take you through Customs, and then we'll be able to leave."

"Of course," Tony said. "Do you have any information on Commander Sundstrom?"

"The last update I had was about 30 minutes before you landed," Stewart said as they drove away from the plane. "There's been no change to his condition. He's settled into a room, and the doctor is on standby to speak with you as soon as you arrive."

That was something, at least, Tony thought grimly. "Do you know where we'll be staying? I was told that that would be handled for us."

"Accommodations have been arranged for you at the BOQ, so whenever you're ready, I can take you there," the Specialist said. She handed Tony a card that had her contact information on it. "I'll be your point of contact during your stay, so if you need anything, just let me know."

"Thank you, Specialist," Tony said. He glanced at Francesca in the rearview mirror. She looked worried, but she was holding it together. 

They passed through Customs and Passport Control quickly; it helped that Tony had his NCIS ID. Even though he wasn't there on official business, his badge got him access that civilians couldn't normally get. And Francesca, as the wife of a Navy SEAL, had her military ID, which also smoothed the way.

Soon enough, they were on their way to the base hospital. The Specialist parked the Hummer and escorted them into the hospital and up to the sixth floor. Tony's worry spiked when he realized that they were being taken to the ICU. Francesca slipped her hand into his; he could feel her shaking with worry.

They stopped just outside the waiting area. The Specialist turned to them and indicated that they should step inside. "I'll let the doctor know you're here. He'll want to speak to you before you see Commander Sundstrom."

Tony and Francesca shared a worried glance, but Tony just nodded and stepped into the waiting room. There was already someone in there, and when he turned around, Tony smiled.

"Senior Chief Perry," Tony said. He walked into the room and met Perry in the middle, shaking the man's hand.

Perry pulled Tony into a manly hug, slapping his back before pulling away. "Special Agent DiNozzo. How you holding up, my brother?"

"I've been better," Tony said. "What are you doing here?"

Francesca joined him, smiling at Perry. "Ray, it is so good to see you."

Perry pulled her into a hug. "Where else would I be?"

"Can you tell us what happened?" Tony asked as they pulled apart. "JSOC is being cagey, which I get, but I think Francesca should know, at a minimum."

"I know," Perry said. "I got Captain Gregory to agree to let me give you the highlights. And because of your security clearance, I'm authorized to tell you as much as you want to know separately, whenever you're ready."

"Thanks for that," Tony said.

"Of course," Perry said. "We were part of a convoy when we were hit by a pair of IEDs. The lead Hummer was obliterated, and the second one took a hit, but everyone managed to get out."

"Is that the one Luke was in?" Tony asked quietly.

"Yeah," Perry said with a sigh. "Our teams were working together. His team was in the lead vehicles, and ours was bringing up the rear."

"Jesus," Tony said. He wanted to ask how many casualties, and who made it out and who didn't, but he didn't think Francesca needed to hear that, so he pushed that question to the back of his mind to ask later. "Hayes and Blackburn okay?"

"They're fine," Perry said. "Blackburn took command on site, and he and Jason are working to get the teams rotated home as we speak. I volunteered to accompany Commander Sundstrom."

"Thank you, Ray," Francesca said.

"It's nothing less than he would do for any of the guys," Perry said. He glanced over their shoulders and nodded. "Looks like the doc's here. I'll be on base for another day or so, if you want to talk."

"Thanks, Ray," Tony said. He shook the man's hand, grateful that his brother had someone watching out for him.

Perry walked out of the waiting room, passing the doctor on his way out. The doctor joined them, shaking hands with them both.

"I'm Doctor Welling," he said. "Commander Sundstrom is currently resting comfortably. He arrived about four hours ago, and we're continuing to monitor his condition."

"Is there a reason he's in the ICU, Doc?" Tony asked. Francesca moved closer to him, taking his hand and squeezing hard. He sent her a reassuring smile, then refocused on the doctor.

"As you might have heard, the Commander has a lacerated liver," Welling said. "The major concern with that is excessive bleeding, so we need to monitor him to make sure he's stable. With this type of injury, we try not to operate unless it's absolutely necessary. The Commander is in good overall health, so we feel like he'll do better if we don't operate, but we'll keep him under observation for the next few days. If the bleeding doesn't stop, or worsens, we'll be forced to operate, but we'll cross that bridge if we come to it."

"And his other injuries?" Tony asked.

"His left leg was broken in two places, but they were able to address that in the field," the doctor said. "Non-displaced fractures, so no surgery required, and he'll be up and around in no time. He's also got a mild concussion, but I see no swelling or other indications of a more serious injury, so I think it's a non-issue."

Tony let out a relieved breath as Francesca sagged with relief. "Thank you, Doctor."

"It's my pleasure," Welling said. "I'm glad I could deliver good news for a change."

"When can we see him?" Francesca asked.

"Right now, if you'd like," the doctor said. "He's sleeping now, and probably will off and on for a while. We've got him on painkillers, so he'll be in and out until we can dial back the dosage. I'll have someone take you to him."

Tony held out his hand. "Thanks, Doc. For everything."

"You're welcome," Welling said. 

He shook Tony's hand, then Francesca's, and then took his leave. Tony pulled Francesca into his arms for a long, relieved hug. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"He's gonna be fine," Tony said, "just like I told you."

"Yes, you did," Francesca said, smiling up at him. She pulled away and rubbed her arms as if she were cold. "Do you want to go in first?"

"No, Francesca," Tony said gently. "It needs to be you. He's your husband. I'll wait until later to see him. Just knowing he's going to be okay is enough for now."

She glanced over at the nurse waiting for them at the door. "Alright. I will send for you in a bit. You really do need to see him for your own peace of mind, whether you think so or not."

Tony chuckled. "Yes, ma'am. Now, go."

He watched her follow the nurse out of the room, taking a deep breath and letting it out, feeling all the worry from the last couple of days just melt away. He did want to see Luke for himself, but that could wait until later.

~o~

A few minutes later, Ray Perry returned with two coffee cups. He sat down beside Tony and handed him one. Tony flashed a quick smile.

"I haven't eaten in… well, I don't remember the last time I ate," he said. "But I really need this cup of coffee, so thanks."

"Anytime," Ray said. "You holding up okay?"

Yeah," Tony said, letting out a breath. "I'm good. The doc said he thought Luke would pull through without surgery, so that's something."

"You know, I was surprised when Gregory told us that his emergency contact was a brother," Ray said. "Nobody knew he even had a brother, and then to find out it's you…"

"If it makes you feel any better, we were just as surprised," Tony said. "Luke only found out about me about seven months ago, and I found out from him. Our father is… a bastard, who paid his mother to leave and not come back."

"Jesus, Tony," Ray said. "I'm sorry both of you had to go through that, but I'm glad you found each other. Sundstrom has seemed… more grounded the last six months. Nobody could figure out why. I mean, he's always been a rock, but he seemed more settled, more comfortable in his own skin. Makes sense if that's when you met."

"It has seriously been the most fucked up situation I've ever been through," Tony said. "And I'm the guy whose father tried to steal his trust fund by not telling the bank that he was Anthony DiNozzo Senior instead of Junior. I honestly didn't know what to do with all of this except just roll with it."

Ray chuckled. "I hear ya, brother. Sometimes there's nothing for it but to just keep moving. How you been otherwise? Life treating you okay?"

"Life's good," Tony said, smiling. "I have a daughter now. Tali. She's four, and the light of my life. And I'm now the SAC of the DC Field office."

"Wow," Ray said. "Congratulations on both. I know it's been a while since we talked, but I didn't think you were seeing anyone."

"I wasn't," Tony said. His lips thinned into a line. "Her mother was a colleague of mine. We shouldn’t have—we spent the night together once, when we were both emotionally compromised. It shouldn’t have happened, but it did. She didn't tell me she got pregnant. I had to find out when Ziva was reported killed by a terrorist at her home in Israel. Suddenly, I had a daughter I never knew about."

"Man, that's rough," Ray said, drawing a snort out of Tony. 

"Understatement of the year," Tony said. "I left NCIS for a while. My boss reached out to me at one point and asked if I'd be willing to do a rotation with Interpol on behalf of NCIS. After a few months with them, I realized I wanted back in the game, so NCIS recalled me and Vance offered me the SAC posting. I get to work a mostly 9-5 job, and be home with my daughter. And I've got a good friend living with me who helps take care of Tali. It's good."

"Sounds like," Ray said.

"So, you willing to tell me what the hell happened out there?" Tony asked.

"Bravo and Delta Teams were tasked with escorting a couple of State Department negotiators to a neutral site for talks with a couple of tribes that have been causing trouble in the region," Ray said. "The road we were on had been cleared the day before, but sometime during the night, someone laid some IEDs. The lead vehicle hit the first IED and came apart, literally. Sundstrom's vehicle was right behind that and took some shrapnel damage. There was a second IED that lit up one of the SUVs carrying the State Department team."

"Casualties?" Tony asked quietly.

"Two of Sundstrom's team didn't make it," Ray said, looking away. "And one of the State Department staffers was KIA as well. Bunch of guys injured, but none as seriously as your brother."

"Fuck," Tony said. He ran a hand through his hair. "Notifications?"

"Going on as we speak," Ray said. "JSOC is handling that since both teams were in theater. Blackburn asked me to travel with Sundstrom so I could meet Francesca while he and Jason took care of wrapping things up in Afghanistan. They'll all head straight for North Carolina when they're done, and I'll ship out later today."

"Thank you for being here," Tony said. "Thanks for being there for my brother. I know he appreciates it too."

"Listen, I gotta get moving," Ray said, standing up. "I was able to get a seat on the plane you came in on. It was good seeing you again, even if it's under less than ideal circumstances."

Tony stood up and shook Ray's hand. "It's good seeing you, too. Don’t be a stranger, you hear? And tell Naima I said hello."

"Will do," Ray said. He dragged Tony into a hug. "You take care of yourself and that daughter of yours. Look us up the next time you come down to visit your brother."

"Sure," Tony said. "Take care. Have a safe trip back."

Ray waved at him as he walked away. Tony had met most of Bravo Team when he and Gibbs had gone to Fort Bragg to investigate equipment and materiel going missing from the SDVT supply depot at JSOC, back when they'd been a two-man team. Even though Fort Bragg had its own NCIS RA, Gibbs had gotten the call due to his Top-Secret clearance. 

Meeting the teams had been surreal, and had given Tony a new appreciation for the work they did. He found it ironic that his own brother was a member of the Teams, but he hadn't met him on that trip because Delta was deployed at the time. 

He wasn't one to believe in fate, but it seemed like maybe there was an element of fate involved. Not that he'd have known who his brother was at the time, but maybe the timing wasn't right to meet back then.

Tony shook his head and sat back down. He wasn't normally one to believe in things like fate, but right about then, he was willing to entertain the possibilities.

~o~

Tony sat by Luke's bed in the ICU suite, watching the rise and fall of his brother's chest. It had been two days since Luke had arrived, and he was doing a little better every day. The color was returning to his skin, and he was resting comfortably thanks to the painkillers they were pumping into him. 

He'd been in and out of consciousness since Tony and Francesca arrived, mostly due to the pain meds, so they hadn't talked much beyond an acknowledgement that he and Francesca were there. It was enough for Tony to know that his brother was on the mend, but it would still be nice to talk to him, see with his own eyes that he was recovering.

He sipped at his coffee as he pondered just how much his life had changed in the last year. Beyond the new job and the new house, having Tali and Meg with him had made him reconsider his priorities in a major way. And now, knowing he had a brother… well, it had validated his reason for choosing to come out of the field.

Tony had always been willing to do whatever it took to close a case, and sometimes that meant taking risks that others might not. He hadn't given it much thought before; that had just become part of how he went about doing his job. Now, though, he recognized that he'd done it because he didn't have a reason to take care of himself. He had friends, people who cared about him and would presumably miss him if he were gone, but he had no real family ties. His father had been distant all his life, and even when he'd made his peace with the man his father was, he still hadn't felt particularly close to him.

It had been a hard adjustment to make when Tali came along, but he'd fallen in love with his daughter instantly, so making changes for her was easy. And once he'd gotten used to making changes, it had just seemed natural to… keep making them, whenever he came across a situation that needed him to adapt. He'd gotten good at rolling with the punches.

Noise from the bed drew his attention away from his wandering thoughts. Luke's eyes were open; just slits, but open just the same.

"Hey, little bro," Tony said quietly. He set his coffee on the bedside table and leaned forward. "You feeling any better?"

Luke stretched as much as his circumstances would allow, frowning as he took inventory. "'M okay. Feel fuzzy. Can't seem to stay awake."

"That's the painkillers," Tony said. "They're dialing them back, so you should be awake for longer periods of time now."

"Good," Luke said. "Francesca okay?"

"She's good," Tony said. "She's resting now. I had to practically haul her back to the BOQ. She'd be here round the clock if I weren't making her rest."

"Glad someone's watching out for her," Luke said. He frowned. "Who's watching out for you?"

"Normally, I'd say that's Gibbs' job, but he's not here," Tony said, trying to keep things light-hearted. "But your wife's been policing me as much as I've been policing her, so we're good."

Luke's eyes fluttered shut, so Tony figured that meant he'd be out for a little while. His eyes popped open again, and he turned his head, looking directly at Tony. He seemed more alert even than he'd been a couple of minutes ago.

"You don't have to stay, you know," he said. He frowned again. "If you need to get back to Tali, you should. I'll be okay. Promise."

"I know you'll be okay," Tony said quietly. "But I didn't want to leave until I was sure you were on the road to recovery." Tony took a deep breath, squeezing his eyes shut before he looked back at his brother. "You gave us all quite the scare. I'm just glad you're going to be okay."

Luke lifted his hand, just barely high enough for Tony to see the movement. Tony picked up his hand, holding it gently between his own.

"I—I want you to know that I'm glad you found me," he said. He cleared his throat, unaccustomed to baring his soul like this. "I didn't know I even needed a brother until you crashed into my life."

"Everybody needs an annoying little brother," Luke said, flashing a small smile. "I wasn't sure you'd even want to talk to me once I told you the truth. I'm just grateful you didn't send me away after that first day."

"Not a chance," Tony said. "It might be selfish, but I won't give you up now that I have you. Just be careful with yourself. I know you do a dangerous job, but I'd like to keep you around for a while. Okay?"

"Yeah, okay," Luke said. "Love you, brother mine."

"Love you, too," Tony said, nearly choked with emotion.

Luke drifted off to sleep, so Tony let go of his hand and tucked it back under the blankets. He stood up and wandered out of the room, taking deep breaths to bring his emotions back under control. When he stepped out of the room, he saw someone familiar leaning against the nurse's station in the middle of the ICU.

He didn't hesitate, just walked over and scooped Ellie into a crushing hug, holding on for dear life.

"What are you doing here?" Tony mumbled into her hair.

"Gibbs told Vance to send me to check on you," she said. "I wasn't going to complain."

"God, I've missed you," Tony said. He pulled back, tucking a lock of Ellie's hair behind her ear. "How are things at home? Tali behaving herself?"

"She is having the time of her life hanging with her cousins," Ellie said. "I think she's going to be devastated when they have to go home."

"Probably," Tony said. "She keeps asking if she can have a little brother or sister someday. I don't know what to tell her. I'm not sure I'm ready for another kid, and I didn't have anyone in my life I'd like to have kids with before. Not that I'm pressuring you or that we're even there yet."

"It's okay, Tony," she said. "I know we're not there yet, but maybe someday we can have that conversation. I never thought I'd want kids, especially after the divorce, but being around Tali is making me rethink that."

"Well, something to think about in the future, then," Tony said. "How are Gibbs and AJ handling the kids on their own? Meg must be going crazy having them underfoot."

"I don't even want to talk about the three of them," Ellie said, rolling her eyes. "It's like the love triangle from hell. She's flirting outrageously with both of them, and they're flirting back. Gibbs! Flirting! I was so glad when Vance suggested I come here so I could get out of the line of fire. Seriously!"

Tony threw his head back and laughed, earning a glare from the nurse at the nurse's station. He stifled the rest of his laugh and pulled Ellie into another hug. 

"You are so good for me, Ellie," Tony said when he'd pulled back. 

Ellie blushed, which charmed Tony thoroughly.

"Have you eaten lately?" she asked.

"Francesca should be back soon, so I was going to go eat after," Tony said. "Care to join me?"

"I'd love to," Ellie said.

Tony pulled her close once more, thanking god and his lucky stars that he had so many people in his life who cared about him. He'd gone so long with just an indifferent father in his life, so it had taken a while to get used to, but now he wouldn't trade it for the world.

~o~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Terminology:  
> SDVT=SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team  
> NCIS RA=Navy Criminal Investigative Service Resident Agency (NCIS field office)  
> ICU=Intensive Care Unit


	12. Chapter 12

~o~

"You look dashing as ever."

Tony turned to see Meg standing in the doorway of his room, watching him brush his hair and adjust his tie. He'd been home for a couple of weeks, but the MCRT had caught a complicated case almost immediately, so he and Ellie had barely seen each other. Tonight would be their first official date since Luke's injury.

"It helps that I can dress myself these days," Tony said. "I've had a broken arm before, but it still sucked not being able to wash my own hair."

"Poor baby," Meg said, shaking her head. "Going to the hair salon like a rich old lady was just too much for your pedestrian sensibilities, apparently."

Tony snorted. "More like I felt like an over-pampered poodle. Remind me never to break my collar bone again."

Meg just laughed, as he'd intended.

"Tali doing okay?" Tony asked.

"She's having the time of her life at the party," Meg said. "Apparently, we're no longer necessary to her happiness. Mrs. Carpenter made chocolate chip pancakes for dinner."

It was Tony's turn to laugh. Tali had made a lot of friends at her preschool, so the birthday party was the next logical step. Instead of having a party on a Saturday afternoon, they'd planned a pseudo-sleepover. The kids were all in their PJs, and they planned to watch cartoons and eat… well, apparently chocolate chip pancakes, among other things.

"And what are you going to do tonight?" Tony asked.

"I have a bottle of wine breathing in the kitchen, and a good book," Meg said. "I'm all set."

"You didn't want to go out?"

"After having your family underfoot for over a week, I'm looking forward to a little peace and quiet," Meg said.

"Hey, I'm sorry about that," Tony said. "I know it was pretty stressful having them here. I hadn't planned to stay in Germany that long, but—"

"Pish tosh," Meg said. "I loved every minute of it, having them here. Your niece and nephews are a joy, and AJ is a saint. It wasn't any trouble at all having them here. I'm just looking forward to a quiet evening, is all. Plus, I wanted to be home in case Tali needed me."

"Good Lord, don't remind me about AJ, okay?" Tony said, cringing. "Ellie told me all about the flirting. Honestly, I didn't need to know… any of it, really."

"I'm old, not dead, young man," Meg said sternly, but Tony could see the smile peeking out. "Besides, what's good for the goose is good for the gander, right?"

Tony blushed. "You may have a point."

He picked up his phone and tucked it into his coat pocket, then crossed the room and pulled Meg into a side hug as he walked her downstairs. They ended up in the kitchen with a glass of wine each, though Tony's was just a small serving owing to the fact that he'd be taking Ellie to dinner in a little while.

"So, how are you doing, really?" Meg asked when they'd settled at the kitchen bar.

"I'm good," Tony said. "This past year has been nothing but one change after another, but I feel like I'm finally getting a handle on it all."

"You like the job?"

"I do, and I didn't expect that," Tony said. "I was a cop for a long time, and an NCIS agent for even longer. I'd always resisted promotion beyond Senior Field Agent because I didn't want to come out of the field."

"And yet you're not in the field now," Meg said.

"No, I'm not," Tony said. He took a sip of his wine. "I didn't want my life to be all about budgets and reviews and paperwork. But I couldn't be a field agent and take care of Tali. I couldn't put myself at risk like that anymore."

"I think you sell yourself short, there," Meg said. "It wasn't about risking yourself, it was about doing what needed to be done to get justice for the victims. That's a laudable goal."

"It is," Tony said. "But I could be reckless at times, which is not exactly a good thing when it comes to raising a child. I had to be able to come home to her each night."

He paused. "The thing is, I found out that the SAC job is more interesting than I'd expected. It isn't just about the paperwork; it's about directing resources and backing the teams and running interference with other agencies. It's never a dull moment—well, I'm not gonna lie and say budgets aren't dull, but they're necessary so I suck it up."

Meg laughed. "You're good with money and you know it."

"No, I'm good at picking someone who's good with money to manage mine," Tony said. "Two totally different skillsets."

Meg just shook her head. "And the rest of the changes? How are you coping?"

Tony gave her the side-eye. Meg had been a nurse for a lot of years, so taking care of people was second nature for her. But that also meant she had a keen sense for when things weren't right with someone, as well as a wealth of knowledge and advice on how to fix it.

"If you're asking how I'm coping with being a father, the answer is fine."

"Relax, you," Meg said, swatting his arm. "I can see that with my own two eyes. Tali adores you, and the feeling is quite obviously mutual. You rearranged your whole life for her. That alone speaks volumes."

"Having Tali in my life has been amazing," Tony said quietly. "I just… She's such a wonder. Every day, she wakes up and looks at me like I hung the sun in the sky. I don't ever want to disappoint her."

"That's not likely to happen," Meg said. "You're her father, and you're here with her every day, which is a far cry from the man who raised you. You'll never be a disappointment to Tali as long as you love her and tell her that every day."

Tony took a deep breath. He still hadn't heard from his father, and he wasn't sure he cared if he ever did again. Tali hadn't asked about him, but it wasn't uncommon for Senior to wander off for a period of time before coming back. He had no idea what he'd stay if Tali asked where her grandfather was, but he figured he'd cross that bridge when he came to it.

"And now you have Luke," Meg said when he'd been quiet for a few moments.

"And now I have Luke," Tony said. "And Francesca. And AJ. And the kids. Instant family."

He glanced at Meg, but she'd remained quiet. She always knew when to push and when to just wait him out. It wasn't that he was reluctant to talk about Luke, more like he wasn't sure what to say. 

"I think I'm… relieved, actually, to have him in my life," Tony said. "It sounds weird, but I'm not alone anymore. I always kept everyone at arm's length so I wouldn't get hurt, because I'd been hurt by family before. But I feel like I can trust Luke. AJ wouldn't have trusted him with his only daughter if he weren't the kind of man you could trust to take care of her."

"Well, he is a SEAL," Meg said. "And a handsome bastard by any measure."

"Hey, no flirting with my brother, Meg," Tony said, shoving at her a little even as he chuckled. "You've already got two men on the hook. No need to add my brother to the list."

"He's married," Meg said, as if that was the only reason she wouldn’t be flirting with him. "Besides, he's a bit young for me. I like my men a bit more seasoned, you know?"

"No, I don't know," Tony said. "And I don't want to know. You know?"

Meg laughed out loud. "Ah, Tony, you are the light of my life, is what you are."

"Okay, enough emotional shit," Tony said, rubbing his face with a hand. "I swear I've talked more about my feelings in the last six months than I have in the last ten years."

"You're far more mature now than you ever were," Meg said. "It's been lovely to see just how much you've grown and changed. You remind me of my own dear Patrick, you know." 

Tony opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He'd admired Patrick so much, both as a man and as a police officer, so to be told he was even just a little bit like the man was… overwhelming. He didn't feel like he could live up to that, but he wasn't going to say that to Meg.

"Before you go talking yourself out of that, please know that Patrick would say the same thing, if he were here," Meg said quietly, reaching out to turn Tony to face her. "He often spoke of how much he enjoyed your time together; how much he thought of you as another son. So, don't dismiss his words just because you're uncomfortable with them. Just accept it as the truth."

"And on that note, I should get going," Tony said, shaking his head and vowing to think about it later. He stood up and pressed a kiss to her head. "Be good tonight. No boyfriends after ten o'clock."

"You're one to talk," Meg said. "Should I sleep with my earplugs in?"

"I am not having that conversation with you," Tony said with a shudder. 

"Goodnight, Tony," Meg said with a chuckle. "Give my best to Ellie."

"Will do," Tony said. 

He headed for the front door, grabbing his keys on the way out. He was looking forward to spending the evening with Ellie. 

~o~

"It feels like it's been ages since we've done this," Ellie said as they were seated at the restaurant. "Even though we've only done it the once."

"And I was half asleep the whole time," Tony said by way of agreement. "Broken bones always suck. I don't recommend them."

Ellie chuckled. "Tell me about it. I can't tell you how many times one of us broke something back on the farm. At least one of us had something broken about once a year growing up."

"Even you?"

"Even me," Ellie said, nodding. "I broke my arm at least once jumping off the hay loft in the barn. My oldest brother broke his leg jumping into the pond one summer. He didn't realize there was a sunken log under there. It hadn't been there the year before. I thought my mom was going to pop a blood vessel she was so angry. Turns out she wasn't angry at him at all. She'd asked my dad to check the swimming hole the week before, but he kept putting it off without her knowing."

"Ouch," Tony said. "I imagine he spent some time on the couch after that."

"Not really," Ellie said. "My parents weren't like that. They didn't let things fester. They either had it out or admitted fault and apologized. My mom always used to say that it did no good to hold on to things."

"My folks used to fight like cats and dogs, but they never seemed to say anything," Tony said. "Senior could hold a grudge like it was an Olympic sport and he was going for gold. He had the nerve to blame me for getting stranded in Hawaii when I was eleven, even though it was his fault for forgetting."

"Wow," Ellie said. 

They'd talked about his father in the wake of the confrontation in Tony's office, but he could tell it would take some time for her to really comprehend just how much of a bastard his father really was. He put on a good image, but that's all it was, an illusion. People saw what he wanted them to see.

The server turned up, smiling at them expectantly.

"We'll take a bottle of Tempranillo and some edamame to start," Tony told him.

"Alright," the server said. "I'll be back in a bit with the bottle, and to take your order."

"Thanks," Tony told him. He looked at Ellie, who was smiling at him. "Sorry. Did you want something different? I can call him back."

"It's fine, Tony," she said. "It used to drive me nuts when Jake did it, but I think that was because he never knew what I might want. He'd just order whatever he wanted and expect me to like it."

"So, you're telling me you like a bright white wine from Argentina?"

"I do, as a matter of fact," Ellie said. "And you know that, I'm sure. Now, what are you planning to order me to eat?"

Tony smiled as he picked up the menu. "Well, California Rolls for sure. Maybe the Spicy Tuna Rolls, too? How do you feel about scallops?"

"Yes to California Rolls and Spicy Tuna," she said. "A big fat no on the scallops."

"May I ask why?" Tony asked.

"Sand," Ellie said, shuddering. "I hate gritty food, and it seems like every time I eat scallops, they're gritty. It's gross."

"Well, scallops are bottom-feeders, in the best sense of the word," Tony said. "They filter water through their body, which is how they breathe and eat. Stands to reason they'd scoop up some sand along with the water. But if they're prepared right, the sand washes out and all you taste is the scallop."

"So, what you're saying is that I've been eating sub-par seafood all these years?" Ellie asked. "Or just managing to find the one seafood restaurant in every city that doesn't know how to prepare scallops?"

"I have no comment on the quality of seafood restaurant you've been patronizing all these years," Tony said.

Ellie narrowed her eyes at him. "Good answer, Very Special Agent DiNozzo."

"Why thank you, Special Agent Bishop," he said, winking at her. "So, no scallops. What about shrimp? Or unagi?"

"Shrimp's okay," she said, shrugging. "Never had unagi before. Not something Jake… he wasn't very adventurous."

The server came back with their wine at that point, so Tony placed their order once he was finished pouring. "We'll have the California Rolls, the Spicy Tuna Rolls and the Unagi Rolls. Anything else, Ellie?"

"That about covers it," she said, smiling at the server. "Some water would be nice, though."

"Sparkling or still?" he asked as he took their menus.

Tony looked to Ellie and raised an eyebrow. She raised one back, but when it became clear to her that he wasn't going to just order for her, she huffed.

"Sparkling, please," she said. "With lemon."

"Got it," the server said. "I'll be back with that in a minute."

When he was gone, Tony looked at Ellie. "Does it bother you? Talking about Jake?"

"No, not really," she said, leaning back in her chair. Her fingers played with the stem of her glass. "I mean, I was angry when I found out he'd been cheating, but I had to let it go. I wasn't responsible for his choice to cheat; that's all on him. I'm not—I hate to say it, but I'm not sure we should have gotten married in the first place, and that's on me. As much as I hate thinking I failed at marriage, I know being divorced is better than being stuck in a marriage that wasn't working."

"Well, I've always admired the courage it took to face that head on," Tony said. "Admitting you were wrong isn't easy. Especially with Gibbs as your example. But you did it, and you're in a better place emotionally for having done it."

"Yeah, I am," Ellie said. She smiled at him. "And look at you. You've changed so much in the last year. No offense, but I doubt I'd have ever seen you as more than my co-worker if you'd never become a father and taken on the SAC job."

"Not that Gibbs would have tolerated that," Tony said. "Rule 12 exists for a reason."

"You ever going to tell me what that reason is?" she asked.

"Not unless you set me on fire and threaten to withhold the fire hose," he said, cringing. "Let's just say it was a spectacular miscalculation on his part and leave it at that."

"You know, it all eventually comes out," Ellie said. "There are no secrets on this team, apparently. I'd have sworn that Gibbs is a mind reader when I first joined."

"He's an exceptionally good judge of character," Tony said. "Unless it's one of his blind spots."

"Ah, yes, the infamous 'Gibbs' Gut'," Ellie said.

"Something like that," Tony said. 

They lapsed into silence just as the food was delivered, but it wasn't awkward or unwelcome. They spent the rest of the meal chatting about mindless things. Tony felt more comfortable in that moment than he had in many long years. Having someone he could talk to was a welcome balm to his heart. He wasn't going to make more of the relationship than it actually was, but he was willing to see where it might go. It had been a long time since he'd felt that way about anybody.

~o~

"So, tell me how you're doing."

Luke took a deep breath. "I'm doing okay. Rehab's a bitch, but I've been down this road before. I get tired far too easily for my liking, and I'm prone to overworking myself when no one's watching, but that's true of a lot of SEALs when they get injured on the job."

Tony settled back into the couch cushions as he chuckled. "Just be careful. You do not want a lecture from your wife. Five and a half feet of angry Italian is nothing you want any part of."

"No kidding," Luke said. "I came home from rehab limping the other day. I had to endure ten minutes of outright shouting and two hours of 'disappointed face'. Trust me when I say I'm never doing that again."

"I told you," Tony said. "How long do you think before you'll be cleared for duty?"

"Probably another couple of weeks," Luke said. 

Tony could hear the frustration and disappointment in his brother's voice. He could completely understand it, too. He'd never been the best patient, prone to walking out AMA rather than put up with well-meaning doctors and nurses. But he was also notorious for pushing too hard and risking a setback because he was impatient to get back to work.

"As much as this is like the pot calling the kettle black, I have to remind you that you don't want a setback, especially in the field," Tony said. "So, listen to the doctors, the therapist, your own body and your wife. They can't all be wrong."

"Yeah, yeah," Luke said, and Tony could practically see Luke's hand waving him off. "I'm my own worst enemy when it comes to rehab, but I get it. I'm no good to my team if I'm injured, even if all I'm doing is working the op from TOC."

"Atta boy," Tony said.

"And now for something completely different," Luke quipped, drawing a chuckled out of Tony. "What are you guys doing for Thanksgiving?"

Tony had to stop and think. Last year, he and Tali had only just returned to the US, so it had been a low-key affair. They'd been in Paris the year before, so they hadn't even celebrated the holiday, and with Meg being British, they'd had a small meal last year and that was about it.

"I have no idea what I'm doing for Thanksgiving," Tony said. "I haven't even thought about it, to be honest."

"Come to Fort Bragg," Luke said. "Bring Tali and Meg. Hell, bring Ellie and Gibbs, too, if you want. You're all welcome here."

"I'm not even going to ask if you're sure," Tony said. They'd been in Fayetteville for a week over the summer and had managed quite well, despite feeling like a small invasion force had landed. "I can say for sure that Meg, Tali and I would love to come down. Don't know about the rest."

"Well, ask them," Luke said. "I have strict orders from my wife. You're to bring your entire brood, including 'Uncle Jet' to spend the long weekend. You being the boss, I'm sure you can arrange for the MCRT to not have the duty that weekend."

Tony chuckled. "I am the boss, as a matter of fact. And you're lucky that I just looked at the duty roster this morning. As it turns out, the MCRT isn't on call that weekend because they had it last year."

"Well, there you go," Luke said. "AJ is willing to host whoever comes, and the kids are dying to see Tali again. Apparently spending more than a week with her at your house has made them into some sort of little pack. There are text messages flying between our kids, Tony. And emails. And scans of their drawings. Our kids talk more often than we do at this point."

"I know!" Tony said, laughing out loud. "Plus, Francesca has taken it upon herself to become Ellie's new best friend. It's weird."

"Just bow to the inevitable, Tony," Luke said with all the hard-won wisdom of a married man. "You'll be a lot happier if you just go with it."

"I'm beginning to see the value in that," Tony said. "I'll check with Ellie and Gibbs, see what they say. On one condition."

"Oh?" Luke asked. "And what's that?"

"That you consider coming up to DC for Christmas," Tony said. "If you're not going to be on call during the holiday, that is."

"I don't know what the duty schedule is for December, but I'll check," Luke said. "Because I'd love to come up and see your home. I kind of missed it the last time."

"Good," Tony said. "Now, I'm sure you have better things to do than sit here talking to me, so get to it. I'll talk to you soon."

"Nothing in the world I'd rather be doing than talking to my big bro," Luke said seriously. "I hope you know that."

"I do," Tony said, smiling softly. "And nothing I'd rather be doing than talking to my little bro."

"I love you, Tony, and I mean that," Luke said quietly. "I didn't expect that, but I do."

"I love you, too, kid," Tony said. He was uncomfortable with most emotional moments, but he also knew he owed it to himself and his brother to acknowledge that. "I'm glad we found each other. I really am."

"Okay, enough emotional shit," Luke said. "Take care of yourself, and we'll talk soon."

"You too," Tony said, chuckling.

He hung up the phone and stared at it for a moment, unable to stop a smile from forming. He could hardly have guessed eight months ago that he would be here, with a brother, a new job and a girlfriend, finally content with his life.

Sometimes life was weird, but most of the time it was good, and he had to remember that.

~o~


	13. Chapter 13

~o~

Tony stood, beer in hand, watching as the kids chased a soccer ball around the grassy area they'd chosen for their picnic. Tali was in the middle of the group, mixing it up with kids nearly twice her size and—he wasn't being modest at all—holding her own. 

He'd been surprised by the invitation to the annual JAG 4th of July picnic, but he shouldn't have been. Luke had told him that AJ and Francesca were routinely invited, and they all tried to attend if Luke wasn't on deployment. Tony hadn't figured that the invitation would extend to him, but he hadn't even considered saying no.

There were many familiar faces from his time with NCIS, and he'd already had conversations with key JAG personnel, including General Cresswell, who was retiring and had arranged to have Commander Rabb recalled as the next JAG. 

Tony and Harm had always gotten along well, despite a bit of a rocky beginning. They'd talked about increasing the level of cooperation between their two offices, as well as leveraging skills and personnel to make their jobs easier. Tony hadn't expected to be networking at a JAG barbeque, but he'd take it. 

Besides, Harm's kids were great, though he suspected that Mac had something to do with that.

"You okay?"

Tony glanced over to find Gibbs standing beside him, his own half-finished beer dangling from his fingers, watching the kids go at it. He hadn't been surprised that Gibbs had been invited, more that the man had actually agreed to attend. He thought maybe Meg and AJ had cajoled him out of his basement, but he was't going to ask.

"Yeah, I'm good," Tony said. "Why?"

"You're just standing here, not being social," Gibbs said. "Thought I'd check."

"Ah," Tony said. "I think I'm all socialed out for a bit. Seems like I'm the belle of the ball today."

Gibbs snorted. "Almost as popular as your daughter."

"And wasn't that a shock?" Tony asked. "Who knew my daughter was going to turn into the ultimate social butterfly?"

"Everyone who knows her," Luke said as he joined them. "She's a bossy little thing, that's for sure."

"She gets that from her mother," Tony said darkly.

"But she's so sweet while she's doing it that you think it was your idea," Luke said.

"That's all her father," Gibbs said. "He could talk a fox out of his fur coat in the interrogation room."

"I have no doubt," Luke said.

"It's a shame he never wanted to be a lawyer," AJ said as he stepped up beside Luke. "I could have used someone with his skills in the courtroom."

"Ugh," Tony said. "Never had the patience for law school. Too many people bullshitting in one room gives me hives."

All three men laughed out loud. 

"Plus, I like puzzles," Tony said, turning more serious. "I like figuring out a case. I don't want someone handing me the answers, so all that's left is arguing the right or wrong of it."

"I’m sure you're aware, since you ran across them often enough in the field, but my people were never satisfied with the answers anyone fed them," AJ said.

"Oh, we're aware," Gibbs said. "Gives me the red-ass every time I think of it."

Tony laughed. "There isn't much that doesn't, Boss."

"True," Gibbs said with a sly smile.

"I guess we've all got things we're supremely good at," Luke said. "I'd make a lousy lawyer. I got no patience for hours of research and blah, blah, blah all the time."

It was AJ's turn to snort. "I think we all know this about you. If it moves, shoot it. If it doesn't, paint it green."

"Yeah, well, you used to be me," Luke said. "I still can't believe you became a lawyer after your tours with the SEALs were done."

"There's a war of a different kind in the courtroom," AJ said. "Battles fought and won based on research and your own cunning. Nothing like winning, no matter the battlefield."

"Amen to that," Tony said. 

They lapsed into silence as they watched the wives corral the kids to the picnic tables and get them organized for lunch. Tony noticed that Ellie was right there in the thick of things, helping serve the kids and making sure they had whatever they needed. It made him smile fondly to see her taking such an active role with the kids. With Tali, most of all.

The three women in his life were thick as thieves most days. Ellie was frequently at his house, and there wasn't a day that went by where he didn't feel just a little spike of pride when he found her huddled with Meg over the stove, concocting some culinary experiment, or sitting with Tali coloring Disney Princesses. She'd very quickly found a place in his heart, right beside Tali and Meg, and he knew he didn't want to be parted from her for anything.

But he wasn't in a rush. Their relationship was moving at a snail's pace by all outside measures, but they'd both been hurt in the past, so neither of them were willing to rush. Ellie was it for Tony, though, so when he thought she was ready, he'd be making his move. He even had a ring picked out. 

Not that anyone knew that, but he figured they suspected. Most of the people he knew were investigators; there was no way they didn't have at least some idea.

"Come on," Luke said, slapping the back of his hand on Tony's chest. "Let's get in there and get some food before the kids eat it all."

"They're not gonna eat it all," Gibbs pointed out.

"There are teenagers in there," AJ said. "Of course, they're going to eat it all."

Tony chuckled, but dutifully followed the other men over to the food table. He caught Ellie's eye as he served himself; she winked at him just as Meg wrapped an arm around her and bullied her over to the food table for her own dinner.

It was just a few hours to sunset, and then just a little while later they'd be treated to fireworks over the Capitol. Tony was looking forward to it. He, Tali and Meg hadn't done much the year he'd returned to the US. Meg had made them a nice brisket for dinner, and of course, apple pie for dessert. They'd watched fireworks on TV and gone to bed. Last year had been fairly low-key, despite the fact that they'd spent it with Luke and his family. This year was shaping up to be much more fun.

~o~

Hours later, Tony found himself stretched out on a blanket, looking up at a darkening sky, anticipating the fireworks as the cap to a great day. They'd eaten too much, probably drank more beer than strictly necessary, and had talked and laughed until they were blue in the face.

It had been the best day Tony could remember ever spending.

"What are you thinking about?" Ellie asked, glancing behind her to catch his eye.

Tony sat up and pulled her close, pressing a kiss to the back of her head as she leaned back against him.

"Just thinking about today," he said quietly. There were JAG families all around them, but most were fussing with their own blankets and chairs, getting ready for the fireworks show, so he figured no one was really paying attention. "This has been—more fun than I thought it would be."

"It has been a good day, hasn't it?" she said. "I guess I hadn't really met many of the JAG team before today. Is that odd?"

"Probably," Tony said. "I was talking to Cresswell earlier, about working more closely together. Our two offices should be tighter than we are."

"Why do you think we're not?" 

"Some of it has to do with past leadership at NCIS," Tony said. "Director Shepard was… less than cooperative with any other Federal agency, no matter who they were. And Vance has just extended those policies. Some of it was Gibbs' unwillingness to cooperate with anyone, whether it was another agency or LEOs."

"His reputation on that score seems to precede him everywhere we go," Ellie said. "Sometimes it's…"

"Sometime it stymies your investigation," Tony said. "I know. I had the same problem when I was on Gibbs' team. I've lectured him about playing nice with others, but honestly, it was always my job as SFA to smooth over any issues we encountered."

"Which is now Tim's job," Ellie said.

"And how is he doing with that?" Tony asked, though already knew. He just wanted to hear Ellie's perspective.

"Not bad," Ellie said. "He's at least more diplomatic than Gibbs is."

Tony chuckled. "True. Gibbs can be a bit of a bull in a china shop. Whoever comes after Tim is going to have to learn that skill, too."

Ellie turned and looked at him, one eyebrow raised. "Either you're hinting that Gibbs is going to retire and leave Tim in charge of the MCRT, or you're hinting that Tim will be getting his own team. Either way, that puts me in line to be SFA. Do you really think I can do it?"

"I think you can do whatever you put your mind to," Tony said, squeezing her gently. "But I won't be the one making that call. I have no idea if or when Gibbs will retire, but I do know Vance will expect Tim to step up sooner rather than later. He was angry with me that I waited so long; that's why he practically forced the SAC job on me. Said I was way past due for it."

"Well, you were," Ellie said. "But I'm not sure I'm ready for SFA."

"You're not," Tony said. "At least, not today. But if you want to be SFA one day, you should start looking through the training materials online. And pester Tim to loop you in on some of the paperwork involved. It'll be good for you to get a preview of what the SFA does."

"Hmmm," Ellie said. "Maybe. We’ll see."

"I'm not pushing you," Tony said. "I've got orders from Vance to be hands-off when it comes to the MCRT. I'm just giving you some advice, a former SFA to a future SFA."

"You're not just saying that because—"

Tony waited, but she didn't finish the thought. "…because you're my girlfriend? No, I'm not. I saw potential in you long before I saw you as anything more than a teammate. But since I have a serious conflict of interest, I'm not going to get involved in the actual process. If you want advice, I'm happy to give it, but this is ultimately up to you."

"Thanks, Tony," she said. "I'll think about it."

"That's all I ask," Tony said. 

He pressed a kiss to her temple, drawing a smile out of her. Tali bounced over to them at that exact moment, dropping down on their blanket, right between Ellie and him. She beamed up at them both, and he could feel her practically vibrating out of her skin.

"Will the fireworks be coming soon?" she asked.

Tony glanced at the sky, then at his watch. The sun had mostly set, and it was nearing nine o'clock. According to the website, the first volley was set for 9:30.

"Soon, sweetie," Ellie said before Tony could. "The sun has to go down, or else we won't be able to see the fireworks."

Tali sighed. "It's so long."

Tony chuckled. "It'll be worth the wait, Tali-girl. I promise. Where are your cousins?"

"They went to the bathroom," Tali said. "I already went, so Aunt Chessa said I could stay here."

Tony leaned over and pressed a kiss to her head. "You warm enough, kiddo?"

"Can I have my sweatshirt?" she asked. "And maybe my sweatpants too?"

"Of course," Ellie said. She reached into the bag behind them and pulled out Tali's clothes, then helped her into them. "You want a blanket, too, or do you think you'll be warm enough?"

"I'm okay," Tali said. "Can I go sit with Livvie?"

Tony glanced over to see Luke and Francesca settling in with the kids on their blanket. "You guys okay with her crashing your blanket?"

"Send her over," Luke said, smiling. "The more, the merrier."

"Go on," Tony said to Tali. 

Tali jumped up and ran over to Luke's blanket, settling in with Olivia. The two girls started chattering away like a couple of BFFs. It made Tony chuckle to see how close they'd gotten in the year since he and Luke had found each other.

"You know, she asked me if I was going to marry you," Ellie said out of the blue.

"She… what?"

"You heard me," Ellie said. She chuckled, even as she shook her head. "Brave girl. She'd seen us kissing, and wanted to know if that meant that we'd be getting married. She said she'd like it if I was her new Mommy."

"And how do you feel about that?" Tony asked. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest. So much depended on her answer, and he realized that he didn't even know what it would be.

"About being your wife?" Ellie asked. "Or about being her mother? Or, well, stepmother, really."

"Either," Tony said. "Both."

"I like Tali," she said. "Well, no, I love her. She's smart and sweet and entirely captivating. Kinda like her father."

"Am I?" he asked. He was trying for coy, but figured he missed by a mile.

"I love you, Tony," she said. "Which I'm sure you're very well aware of. I say it often enough. Am I ready for an instant family? I have no idea, but it's not scaring me off."

"Well, then," Tony said, smiling as he hugged her closer. "I suppose I should get on that."

"Yes, please," Francesca called from her and Luke's blanket. "We are all ready to find out who won the bet."

Tony flopped down onto his back just as the first of the fireworks exploded overhead. "I don't know why I like any of you, honestly."

"You love me," Luke called out over the crackle of the fireworks.

"And you love me," Ellie said, leaning over him. Her blonde hair lit up as the shells exploded overhead.

"I do love you," Tony said. He reached up and tucked a slice of hair behind her ear, then followed that with a sweet, chaste kiss to her lips. "I love you very much."

Ellie smiled.

"And I love you, too, little bro," Tony called out, just in case he hadn't made that clear.

Contentment swelled inside him as Ellie lay down beside him on the blanket, snuggling into his side. Two and a half years ago, his whole life had been upended by the arrival of his daughter. Now, he had a daughter, a brother and a soon-to-be fiancée. Plus, more friends than he knew what to do with. 

Life was good. For the first time in a long time, life was very good.

~Finis


End file.
